Show Me
by Idinagleek
Summary: Shelby walked away from Rachel that day thinking she was selfish for ever thinking she deserved a spot in the girl's life. Rachel walked away that day silently screaming for help from the woman she's always longed for. Takes place after theatricality, eventual faberry.
1. 1

A/N: Hello everybody! This is a story that I've had bobbling around in my head for some time now! It is slightly AU, but will still follow most of the major storylines! It starts off the episode theatricality, where Shelby and Rachel say goodbyes. Let me know what you think.

…

Rachel shivered slightly in the cool spring air and found herself wishing she would have grabbed a jacket for her walk to school.

She knew today was going to be horrible. She knew from the moment she woke up that today would probably be one of the worst days to date in her young adult life. First, she woke up to her Dad and Daddy screaming at each other, again. She unfortunately found herself in the crossfire of that screaming match, which caused her to leave in a hurry, with no jacket, and having to walk to school, rather than waiting for one of them to take her.

Her Dad and Daddy had been fighting a lot the past couple of years. Always about stupid things, but mainly about her. And she couldn't understand why. Couldn't understand what she was doing so wrong that it caused them to fight over who had to take her to school, whose turn it was to sit in at a recital. Sometimes they went for days on end without even speaking to her, like she was a ghost in her own home. And when they did notice her, it was usually to yell, and it had only been escalating the past couple of months.

But the worst part about today wasn't the fact that it started off with getting screamed it, but the fact that her birth mother asked to meet her at the end of the day, and Rachel knew exactly why.

…

Rachel furiously wiped at her eyes hours later on her walk back home, willing the rest of her tears to go away before she got there. She knew watching her mother walk away would be hard, but she didn't think it would be this hard. She had barely known the woman for a week and she was crying harder than she had when her Grandma Berry passed away.

Rachel let out another choked sob when she realized as she approached her house that both of her Dad's were home already and hoped to god they let her go upstairs without so much as a second glance.

She made it up two steps before her name was called from the kitchen.

"Rachel, dinner is ready, set the table."

"Yes Sir." Rachel mumbled as she quickly wiped at her eyes and made her way into the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with her Dad as she reached for the plates.

"What's the matter with you? You've been crying?" Her father asked without an etch of concern laced in his voice, as if he were asking something as simple as the weather.

"Just a rough day today, Daddy."

Rachel jumped, nearly dropping the plates when her Daddy's fist pounded onto the counter.

"Are you lying to me, Rachel."

"No, Daddy, I just had a bad day, that's all." She stuttered, backing herself into the counter.

"And would that rough day have anything to do with the fact you saw Shelby?"

Rachel felt her heart sink into her stomach. "How did you-

"How did I know?" He finished for Rachel. "I know because Mr. Schuester called your father and I to ask us if you were okay. That you had been through a lot this week and he wanted to make sure you were handling things okay."

Rachel saw her Dad step in from the living room and felt her heart sink further. His temper could be much worse than Daddy's

"How could you do this to us Rachel?" LeRoy asked from the doorway of the living room. "We've given you everything and you still went looking for her."

"I swear I didn't look for her she-

Rachel was cut off by a loud slap, and it took her brain a few moments to register that her daddy had hit her. He had never hit her before. Neither one of them, ever. She carefully lifted her free hand to cup her cheek and look at her Daddy in shock.

"Go to your room." He said calmly.

Rachel gently put down the plates on the counter and shot a look at her Dad, feeling happy that he at least looked as shocked as she felt.

She got to her room and carefully laid down on the bed before she let any of her tears fall.

…

It had been two days since Shelby walked away from her daughter for the second time. A full forty eight hours later and she still was unable to go more than two minutes without thinking about Rachel. How talented she was, how beautiful she was, how much she loved her.

But Shelby was selfish. It was selfish of her to come barreling into her daughter's life with no consideration for anyone's feelings but her own. She had two loving parents at home, and Shelby had missed so much. It was too late for them to have that connection, that bond that mothers and daughters have that she so badly yearned for.

Yes, it had only been a full forty eight hours when Shelby got the call that her student's had egged her daughter. And that's how she found herself parked in front of McKinley High School's main office. She had to make sure Rachel was okay.

It wasn't until Shelby was in the hallway outside the office she realized she had no idea what she was doing. She wasn't Rachel's guardian, she couldn't just storm into the office and demand to see Rachel, they would think she was nuts. She shook her head and turned on her heel, getting ready to leave, when she saw her. There she was, sitting in one of the chairs in the office, still covered in egg, despite the fact that Shelby had received the call well over a half hour ago, chewing on her bottom lip. Shelby's heart broke at the sight.

She took a deep breath and walked the couple steps to the office door and opened it, causing the young girl to jump.

"Shelby, what are you-

"Honey, why are you still in those clothes?" She asked while simultaneously crossing the office to sit in the seat next to Rachel.

"Oh." The girl said while glancing down at her sweater and grimacing, "I don't have a change of clothes here and I can't get ahold of either of my Dads, so principal Figgins said I could sit here until the end of the day." She said in a breath. "I can sign myself out but I really didn't want to walk two miles home covered in egg."

Shelby nodded along as Rachel talked, resisting the urge to touch her hand, and gave her a soft smile when she finished. "Sign yourself out and grab your things. I'll meet you by the front entrance." She said as she stood.

"But, your car. I don't want to get it dirty."

"Leather seats wipe up easy." Shelby said with a wink. "Come on, if you're lucky I might even pick us up something to eat."

The car ride started out silent and awkward. Rachel sitting stiff as a board and staring straight ahead, wincing every time they hit a bump, causing egg to drip further down her face.

"You can relax." Shelby said softly, taking her eyes off the road to gauge her daughter's reaction. "I don't bite." She teased.

"Sorry." Rachel said as tense as she was sitting. "I've heard plenty of horror stories about the ruthless Coach Corcoran, so forgive me for being slightly on edge."

Shelby nodded and tried not to tighten her grip on the steering wheel. "Well, I'm not Coach Corcoran right now. I'm-

"Not my mom, you've made that clear enough." Rachel mumbled.

Shelby felt that familiar pang she always got whenever it came to Rachel and tried to keep her face as unreadable as possible. "I was going to say Shelby. I'm just Shelby right now."

"Well, Shelby. Do your soulless drones always make it a habit of egging the competition."

Shelby pinched the bridge of her nose, willing herself to not get agitated with Rachel's attitude. "No." She said curtly. "Usually they just toilet paper houses or their choir rooms, so I'm not sure why the stepped it up."

"Jesse probably told them I was vegan." Rachel mumbled sadly.

"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry. I had no idea." Shelby said softly. Cursing on the inside at the little shits that did this to Rachel.

"It's fine." Rachel mumbled. "It's not your problem anyways."

"It is very much my problem." Shelby said fiercely as she pulled into her driveway and turned the car off. Turning so she could fully face Rachel. "They know I don't condone any of their pranks they do on other teams. I usually turn a blind eye to it, but this," Shelby said, gesturing to the mess that was Rachel, "is not okay. Egging someone is wrong in the first place. But egging someone who is a vegan and is very important to me, well, they better hope I let them perform at regionals next weekend."

Rachel gave her a soft smile before muttering a quiet thanks.

"Come on. Let's go inside and you can get cleaned up."

…

Rachel sat under the spray of the water and basked in its warmth. The egg was long gone from her hair and the rest of her body. But she was trying to soak in every minute of being in her mother's shower and using all of her products.

When she finally stepped out nearly a half hour later, she smiled when she saw Shelby had left her two towels and a pair of sweats and a T-shirt to change in too. She tried not to cry as she slipped the t-shirt over her head and was surrounded by Shelby's comforting scent.

She walked out a couple minutes later to find Shelby sitting on her couch flipping through the television. Rachel stood behind the couch awkwardly for a few moments before clearing her throat. "Where would you like me to put the towels."

"Oh, I'll take them." Shelby said, lifting herself off the couch and turning to face Rachel. "Honey, what happened to your face?"

Rachel scrunched her face up in confusion before remembering the bruise that was previously hidden by concealer. "Oh, it must be from the eggs, they threw them pretty hard."

Shelby shook her head, reaching a hand out to gently run a finger over the small bruise. "No. It looks like it's a couple days old." She said matter of factly.

"Ohhhhhh, that's right." Rachel said. Slapping a hand to her forehead. "Finn accidentally elbowed me during rehearsals the other day."

Rachel held her breath as she waited for Shelby to buy her lie.

"That doesn't surprise me." Shelby said, causing Rachel to release her breath. "Do you, uhm, do you want me to brush your hair? I know mine always gets tangled if I don't brush it after I shower." Rachel smiled as Shelby rambled, marking it down as another thing they had in common.

"Yes, please." She said quietly before following Shelby to sit on the floor in front of the couch, settling between her legs as the older woman sat down on the couch and began gently brushing her hair.

"If you want to stay for dinner, I ordered vegan lasagna from a place up the road. If you don't want to or can't, that's fine too. Whatever you want." Shelby said softly.

"I can stay. Both of my dads are out late tonight. That's why I couldn't get ahold of them earlier." Rachel said, feeling her eyes getting heavy at the repetitive motion of the brush going softly through her hair. "I've always dreamt about this," she said, leaning farther back into Shelby's legs. "My mom brushing my hair." She said, her eyes barely open now. "I like it."

…

When Rachel opened her eyes she was lying on a couch and a blanket was wrapped around her. She went to shut her eyes again when she felt soft fingers combing through her hair.

"Rachel, honey, wake up."

She looked up and met eyes that were so much like her own and gave Shelby a soft, embarrassed smile.

"Sorry. I didn't even realize I was tired." She said while sitting up.

"That's okay. You had a long day I'm sure. I was going to let you sleep longer but the foods here and I didn't want it to get cold and I probably should get you back to your fathers."

Rachel's smile faded as reality suddenly came crashing down. This wasn't Shelby suddenly deciding she wanted a relationship with her. This was Shelby taking pity on the girl her students egged. "Okay, thanks for uhm, letting me sleep. And for brushing my hair out for me. And the clothes." She rambled.

"Of course."

…

An hour later Shelby found herself parked outside a pitch black house. The house she lived in for nine months. The house her daughter grew up in and had so many memories in that Shelby would never get to share with her.

"It's late. Where are your dads?" She asked.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "Probably still working." She mumbled.

"Oh." Shelby said in surprise. "Do they work late a lot?"

"Yeah, I guess." Rachel grumbled out.

"Okay. Well, you have my number if you need anything. Are you sure you're okay staying home by yourself? I could always bring you back to my house until they get home?"

"It's fine." Rachel said while unbuckling her seatbelt and reaching back for her book bag. "Thank you for bringing me. And for everything today."

Shelby smiled softly. "Of course. Could I have a hug goodbye?" She asked, unable to contain herself any longer.

She was relieved when Rachel gave her one of the first genuine smiles she had seen all day and practically launched herself over the center console into her arms. Shelby gladly took her in and put everything she could into the hug, not knowing when she'd get another chance to hold her baby.

After a minute she reluctantly pulled back and saw the sadness she was feeling mirrored in her daughter's eyes. "I'll see you around, Rach."

"Yeah." Rachel said quietly grabbing her bag and opening the door. "See you around."

Shelby waited until Rachel was in the house before pulling out of the driveway, and it wasn't until she was two blocks away that she allowed one lone tear to slide down her face. Now that she had a taste of what it was like having Rachel in her home, it made walking away so much harder than it was before.

…

Rachel let out a strangled sob the second she shut the front door and slid down to the floor, pulling her knees into her chest. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid. A tiny part of her really thought that Shelby was changing her mind, was realizing how badly Rachel needed her. The few hours she had spent with Shelby in her home had been better than anytime she had spent with her dads in the past couple of years. It made her long for her mother even more, made her crave human touch and affection more than she even thought possible.

Rachel stood up and walked slowly to her room, not even bothering to flick on the light, she climbed into bed and pulled out the T-shirt she had snuck into her book bag. Curling it into a ball, she rested her head on it and took in her mother's scent and fell into a dreamless sleep.

…

A/N: Yay! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave me reviews and tell me your honest opinions. Can't wait to write more!


	2. 2

A/N: Hi all! Thanks for all the love on the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one as well!

…

The next couple of weeks went by agonizingly slow for Rachel. She was counting down the days until regionals, knowing it was her last opportunity to see Shelby before summer started and she would no longer have an excuse to see her until glee competitions kicked off the following school year.

Rachel couldn't figure out why she was looking forward to seeing Shelby. She knew seeing her wasn't going to change anything. Shelby wouldn't suddenly decide at regionals to start a relationship with her, and it wasn't like Rachel was going to go up to her and demand she change her mind. But still, there was something about knowing Shelby would be there in the audience watching her, even if it was as their competitors coach, that calmed her.

Rachel was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"Uhm, the bell rang like five minutes ago. I saw you in here when I was walking out to my car. Do you need a ride?"

Rachel looked up into the pretty hazel eyes that were filled with as much sadness as her own. "No thank you, Quinn. I don't want to inconvenience you. Besides you should be resting."

Quinn rolled her eyes and placed a hand absentmindedly on her protruding baby bump. "Come on, Berry. I'll take you home."

Rachel nodded and got up from her seat, trailing behind Quinn to her car. "Thank you again." She said as she got in. "It's getting way too hot to walk."

"You walk from your house to school everyday?" Quinn asked in disbelief as she started her engine and backed out of her parking space.

Rachel was quick to shake her head while fastening her seatbelt. "Only on the days my dad and daddy work early." She said, eyebrows scrunching in confusion as Quinn made a left instead of a right. "You're going the wrong way to my house."

"We're not going to your house." Quinn said nonchalantly. "We're going to get some food. You're looking skinnier than normal these days, Berry. And I'm always looking for an excuse to go to Breadstix."

"Oh." Rachel said with a slight smile. "Okay."

Twenty minutes later and Rachel was sat facing Quinn, eating her favorite vegan pasta dish while Quinn worked her way through her chicken. The conversation was light, and Rachel was surprised at how at ease she felt in Quinn's company.

"How are you handling things?" Quinn asked suddenly, causing Rachel to arch up a questioning eyebrow.

"You know, _things_. Like, the Jesse break up, the VA kids," Quinn paused, breaking eye contact and looking down at her chicken, "Shelby." She said softly.

"Oh." Rachel said, trying to swallow down the lump in her throat that formed as soon as Quinn mentioned Shelby. "Honestly, I'm fine. Besides, you shouldn't be worrying about me. Worry about the baby."

"The baby is fine." Quinn snapped. "I go to all my appointments and I know she's healthy."

"That's great." Rachel said, a little too forcefully.

"But I'm worried about you, Rachel." Quinn said so softly that Rachel almost missed it. "I think the whole club is. You've been different lately. You're not as annoying as you usually are, and you're losing weight. You've retreated into yourself. What's going on?"

Rachel tried as hard as she could to hold in her tears, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Quinn, and she cursed when she felt a single tear make its way down her cheek.

"I've just had a lot on my plate is all. And you're right, the Jesse and Shelby situation happening right on top of each other really put me down, but I'll be okay." Rachel said, forcing a smile onto her face. "If you're worried this will affect my performance at regionals, I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about. I'm a professional."

Quinn shook her head. "I'm not worried about regionals, Rachel." She said, reaching across the table and laying her hand gently on top of hers. "I'm worried about you. If you ever need anything, you can come to me." She said, giving her hand a squeeze before letting go. "I want us to be friends."

"Friends?" Rachel asked.

"I know I haven't always treated you the best, and I'm truly sorry for that. But yes, Rachel, friends."

Rachel nodded her head once before turning her attention back to her meal. "Friends."

…

The weeks following the egging incident flew by for Shelby. Between punishing her VA kids, holding countless board meetings, grading papers, thinking about Rachel and holding rehearsals, she was exhausted.

It was the night before regionals, and Shelby finally had some downtime for herself. She uncorked a bottle of red wine and poured herself a healthy glass, having every intention of finishing the entire bottle and watching mindless reality television for the night. But when she sat down on the couch and took a sip of wine, all she could think was that something was missing. There wasn't a weight of a teenager pressed into her legs, or sprawled out taking a nap on her sofa lightly snoring. This couch now held memories of Rachel. Memories of what could have been.

Shelby got up with a huff, not bothering to flip off the television and walked straight towards her office, where she grabbed a box off of the very top shelf of her trophy case. She took the box and sat in an oversized chair that was tucked away in the corner of her office and put down her glass of wine and gently removed the lid, tears filling her eyes the second she did.

The first item in the box was a receiving blanket. The very receiving blanket her little girl had been swaddled in just moments after entering the world. Shelby ran her fingers gently over it as if it were fragile, before placing it delicately on the arm of the chair. The next thing she took out was a teddy bear, and when Shelby squeezed his arm, Rachel's heartbeat from one of her sonograms filled the room. Shelby let out a choked sob as she remembered having to beg one of the nurses to give her a recording of just one of the sonograms for weeks on end before she finally gave in. Shelby gave the bear one more squeeze before rifling through the rest of the box, which was filled with every single ultrasound picture, Rachel's hospital bracelet, and Shelby's prized possession that was tucked away in the very bottom.

Two photographs lay side by side in protective sleeves and Shelby sobbed as she picked up the first one. It was a professional shot of her eight month pregnant belly being cradled every so carefully by her hands. She had snuck away for a couple hours a month before she was due and had maternity pictures done without telling the Berry men. The rest of the pictures were on a hard drive, but this one had been her favorite.

It wasn't until Shelby picked up the second picture that she finally broke down into full blown sobs. LeRoy had given it to her before they left the hospital with Rachel. Saying he didn't mean to take it, but thought she would appreciate it. He thanked her again and left. The picture in question was a full shot of the hospital room. Shelby laying back tiredly in her bed, beaming with absolute joy as the doctor stood in front of her, holding up a beautiful baby girl. Her baby girl. Shelby had never felt so much joy as she did in that moment. And then reality came crashing down and the doctors took her away, they took her baby, and her joy was quickly replaced with grief and regret and what she had done. What she had given away. What she had given up.

Shelby wiped her eyes and carefully put everything back in the box before putting it back up in its safe spot and downing the rest of her wine, trudging up the stairs towards her bedroom. She climbed into bed and thought about tomorrow. She would get to watch her daughter perform on stage again, and even if she couldn't be there as her mother, she was comforted by the fact that she would get to watch her regardless.

Hours later found Shelby pinching the bridge of her nose as her students all crammed into their dressing room. The smell of hairspray and axe body spray mixing together was giving her a headache. Normally the excited buzz that was currently radiating from all her students excited her, but today, it was annoying her. She wanted to make sure she got to the side stage before New Directions went on, and she couldn't do that until the kids all settled down and she could trust they wouldn't leave the dressing room again.

"Jesse." She snapped. Trying to suppress her laugh as the boy tripped over his own feet in an effort to quickly make it to her. He had been sucking up to her ever since the egging incident. "Make sure everyone stays here. If a single toe makes its way out of the door frame, we won't compete. Got it?"

"Yes coach." He said earnestly.

Shelby gave him a quick smile before eagerly making her way to the side stage, slowing down when she saw that Will was standing there as well.

"Mind if I join you?" She asked softly, coming to stand beside him.

"Shelby, hi." He said with a smile, leaning in to give her a quick hug. "Of course not. The more the merrier."

She gave him a smile but snapped her attention to the stage when the opening notes to Journey's Faithfully began playing. The moment Rachel came out during the second verse, Shelby couldn't keep her eyes off of her daughter. She was so talented, and Shelby was more than proud watching her own the stage with the rest of her team. She blinked back tears and smiled as they started their next number. "They're doing amazing, Will."

"Thanks." He said with a slight blush. "They worked really hard. They've been rehearsing like crazy."

"You can tell. Let's just hope Finn doesn't give Rachel another black eye in the future." Shelby said with a playful wink.

"What?" Will asked. Finally turning away from the stage to look at Shelby. "What do you mean?"

"Rachel said Finn accidentally elbowed her in the face at rehearsal a few weeks ago. I saw the bruise under her eye and asked what happened and that's what she told me."

Will scrunched his face up in confusion. "Finn never elbowed Rachel, Shelby. I don't have them near each other for that reason. Rachel's the perfect level to accidentally get knocked around by him, so I purposefully don't ever put her near him."

"Oh." Shelby said, confused why Rachel would lie to her. "That's weird. Why would she lie to me about something like that?"

Will shrugged his shoulders, turning his attention back to the stage. "Who knows. Maybe she was clumsy and did it to herself and was embarrassed. Or maybe she just didn't feel comfortable enough talking to you given the circumstances."

Shelby nodded and tried not to be hurt at his words and turned her attention back to Rachel. "Yeah." She mumbled. "Maybe."

…

Rachel walked off the stage with a smile on her face, confident in how well her team just did.

"Hey!" Quinn yelled, waddling to catch up to her. "You did amazing out there!" She beamed.

"Thank you, but it wasn't just me. We all did amazing." Rachel responded earnestly.

Quinn nodded in agreement. "We're all going to meet in the green room to watch Vocal Adrenaline, want to come with me?"

Rachel smiled at her new found friend and for the first time in months, actually felt happy. "No. You go ahead, I have something I need to do first."

Quinn nodded, giving her hand a quick squeeze before taking a left towards the green room. Rachel took a shuddering breath and made her way back towards the lounge where the refreshments were. Once she made sure the room was completely empty, Rachel sat down on an oversized couch and let out a shuddering breath before breaking down into pained sobs. Her body ached so badly, and the tears running down her face were a mix of relief that she no longer had to put on a front and pain.

She jumped when she heard the lounge door open and quickly wiped at her face, hoping to remove any evidence of tears.

"Rachel?"

She spun and found herself face to face with her mother and felt a fresh round of tears making their way to the forefront of her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to collapse into her embrace and beg her to never let her go.

"Shelby, hi." Rachel stuttered, making her way over to the counter to make herself a cup of tea. "My throat was feeling a little itchy so I thought I'd get a cup of tea." She said, a little less wobbly this time.

"You were incredible out there, Rachel." Shelby said earnestly, slowly making her way towards the counter. "Absolutely incredible. I'm so proud of you."

Rachel squeezed her eyes shut and begged her body not to betray her. The last thing she needed was to cry in front of Shelby. "Thank you." She said softly, reaching for the sugar on the shelf over heard."

"What is that?" Shelby exclaimed.

Rachel scrunched her brows in confusion at the sudden urgency in Shelby's voice. "Sugar?" She replied, confusion laced in her voice.

"No." Shelby said, shaking her head causing her brown locks to wave from side to side. "That." She whispered, gently taking Rachel's arm into her own and turning it over, revealing deep purple bruises that resembled fingers.

Rachel's stomach turned to ice and she suddenly felt sick. "Oh that," said said shakily, "I almost fell in rehearsals the other day, but Finn caught me by my arm. I bruise really easily."

"Rachel." Shelby said softly. "Is somebody hurting you?"

Rachel shook her head furiously. "No. I'm just really clumsy." She said, turning away when she felt a single tear slip down her face.

"Honey, if someone is hurting me you can tell me." Shelby said taking a step forward. "Maybe I should go talk to one of your dads. They can probably handle this better than I can."

"No!" Rachel yelled, spinning on her feet. "They aren't here anyways. They had to work this weekend. Really, Shelby, I'm fine."

Shelby nodded her head and was about to walk away when a small voice in her head told her to stay, to keep pushing.

"Rachel, I don't think you are. You lied to me about how you got the bruise on your face, and I think you're lying about the bruise on your arm too. You look like you've lost weight too." Shelby said calmly, taking another step forward and reaching out to brush a stray tear off of Rachel's face, smiling softly when the girl closed her eyes and leaned into her touch. "I can help you, baby. You just have to tell me what's going on."

Rachel opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when the lounge door went flying open and Finn came crashing into the room. "Rachel!" He yelled. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Quinn went into labor." He all but screeched before running back out the room.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." Rachel said, quickly trailing behind Finn, leaving a devastated Shelby in her wake.

… 

Shelby didn't have it in her to be happy when Vocal Adrenaline was announced the winner. Her winning meant Rachel's team lost. And the look on her daughter's face was absolutely devastating.

Shelby waited until the kids had all settled down on the bus before telling them that she wouldn't be attending the celebratory dinner, something she normally would never miss, due to a family emergency. She made her way off the bus before anyone could ask any questions and made a beeline for her car, determined to get to the Berry's house to figure out what the hell was going on with her daughter.

She stopped short when she heard sniffling from around the building and her daughter's voice pleading with someone.

"Please daddy, my ride isn't here. She went into labor after the performance and everyone else left." She sobbed into the phone. "If you don't come get me I'll have to sleep here, no one else is answering and I have no money for a cab."

Shelby watched as her daughter's shoulders shook with silent sobs and nearly lost it when Rachel cried out in anguish and dejectedly dropped her phone to her side, and plopped down onto the curb.

Shelby carefully walked over as to not startle the girl and placed a gentle hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles and waiting for Rachel to calm down before speaking.

"Rachel," she started cautiously, "are your dads hurting you?"

Rachel let out a pained whimper and collapsed into Shelby's chest, giving the older woman the confirmation that she needed. She pulled the younger girl closer to her, cradling her head underneath her chin. She willed her own tears away, not wanting to break in front of the already broken down teen. "It's okay, baby. I'm never going to let them hurt you again."

A few hours later Shelby pulled into her driveway and smiled sadly at the teenager sleeping peacefully in her passenger seat. She had no fucking clue what she was supposed to do. She knew there was not a chance in hell that she was letting Rachel back into the home of the Berry men, but she also didn't know if Rachel was legally allowed to stay with her. She sighed and killed her engine, knowing she'd have to call her lawyers emergency number the second she got Rachel settled in.

She unfastened her seatbelt and turned towards the sleeping teen, brushing a couple of stray hairs out of her face. "Rachel, sweetie, wake up."

It took a couple of minutes but Rachel finally opened her eyes, scrunching her eyebrows in confusion, before meeting Shelby's eyes and breaking down into another round of tears.

"Oh, sweetheart." Shelby sighed, leaning over the console to hug her daughter, jumping back in surprise when Rachel shrugged away.

"You don't have to do this." She sniffed. "Just take me back to my dads. You've already told me you don't want a relationship with me. And I certainly don't want you to force one just because you feel bad for me." She cried out.

Shelby felt like she had been punched in the gut. Confused at first at how Rachel could possibly think she didn't want her, only for the confusion to turn into anger at herself for making the girl feel unwanted in the first place.

"Get your bag, Rachel. And we can talk inside." She said softly. Getting out of the car before Rachel had a chance to respond.

…

Rachel sat in the corner of Shelby's couch, wearing borrowed sweats and a T-shirt, clutching a steaming mug of lavender tea. She was waiting patiently for Shelby to return from her bedroom so they could 'talk'.

Rachel couldn't figure out why Shelby even bothered giving her clothes to wear, or telling her to 'make herself comfortable.' She knew how this talk was going to end. It always ended the same way when it came to Shelby.

Rachel was pulled from her thoughts when Shelby sat down on the other end of the couch. She was also in sweatpants, her makeup was off and her hair was thrown back into a bun. Rachel smiled at how much softer she looked when she wasn't dressed up as Coach Corcoran.

"You said in the car you think I feel sorry for you. And that's why I brought you here." Shelby stated, taking Rachel by surprise at how she jumped right into the hard conversations.

"Yes." Rachel whispered quietly. "You told me that day we sang together that you were my mother and not my mom. And that it was too late for us." Rachel sniffed. "That we couldn't have a relationship."

Shelby smiled sadly and nodded. "You're right, I did say those things. But do you know why I said them Rachel?" She asked, and Rachel shook her head no. "I said them because I thought you had two wonderful, loving, doting fathers at home. And because I thought it was extremely selfish for me to barge my way into a family that already had everything they needed." She said softly. "It was selfish for me to come into your life the way I did. It was reckless, and stupid. But it was all driven by one thing. My love for you."

Rachel looked down into her tea and felt tears slip down her cheeks. "If you love me so much then why did you walk away?"

"Because I love you so much." Shelby answered simply. "I love you so much I knew I couldn't put you through the pain and confusion of figuring out a relationship with me."

Rachel nodded. Still not quite understanding, but getting the gist.

"Honey, why didn't you tell me you were being hurt?" Shelby asked calmly.

"I didn't want that to be the only reason you wanted to be in my life." Rachel answered with a sob. "And it had only just started. They didn't always hit me. The first time they hit me was actually that same day we sang together and said our goodbyes." She paused to take a sip of tea and collect herself. "Before it was just yelling. Lots of yelling. And then fighting over whose turn it was to do things with me. Then it got to the point neither one showed up to anything anymore. I walk myself too and from school." Rachel said, struggling to keep her voice even. "And then they hit me. And once they started, it didn't stop."

Rachel looked up and was surprised to see that Shelby's eyes were glassed over. "I'm so sorry, Rachel." She whispered. "You have to know I had no idea. I would have never in a million years walked away from you if I had the slightest clue."

Rachel nodded her head. "I know. I don't blame you."

Shelby smiled at Rachel. "I also need you to know that I have always loved you Rachel. These past sixteen years there has not been a single day that I didn't think about you or miss you." She said honestly. "The day I gave you up a piece of my heart went with you."

Rachel didn't say anything. Choosing to bask in Shelby's words. "What now?" She asked.

"Well, I have a lot more questions but I think those can wait a little bit. I'm calling my lawyer first thing in the morning to get all of this sorted out." Shelby said determinedly. "You will never step foot in that house again. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you ever again."

Rachel saw a tear splash down on her hand and wiped at her face furiously, embarrassed that she was crying again.

"And as for the right now part of the 'what now'" Shelby said, pulling a blanket off the back of the couch as she did. "I want to hold my baby."

Rachel let out a sob and greedily lunged herself into Shelby's arms. Crying into her shoulder as Shelby laid them back and wrapped the blanket around them. "It's okay. I got you."

Rachel woke with a start several hours later, and it took her a couple of moments to realize her and Shelby had fallen asleep on the couch. She smiled when she felt how tightly Shelby was holding onto her. She was just getting ready to settle back down against her chest when she realized what had woken her.

Her phone was buzzing like crazy in the pocket of her sweatpants, and she nearly cried out when she saw how many missed calls and texts she had from both her dad and daddy, each text getting nastier and nastier, until the final one finally sent her over the edge and left her sobbing.

"Shelby." She cried, sitting up and shaking the older woman's shoulders. "Shelby, wake up. Please you have to wake up."

Finally the older woman sat with a start and immediately grabbed onto Rachel. "What's wrong?" She muttered sleepily.

"My, my dads." Rachel cried. "They must have come to get me last night from regionals, and I wasn't there and they're really angry." Rachel gasped for air. "Daddy's last text said they were going to have my phone traced and come find me." Rachel cried hysterically. "Please don't let them take me." She begged.

"Shhh." Shelby said pulling Rachel's head into her chest. "No one is taking you anywhere." She said, reaching for Rachel's phone and powering it down. "Put some shoes on. We're going to go to the police station right now and make a statement. That was already a part of the plan today, but we're going to do it first now, okay?"

Rachel nodded and let out another sob.

"I know you're scared, baby. But I promise you, I will not let them take you. Do you understand me?" Shelby asked sternly.

"Yes." Rachel said, starting to calm down.

"Good." Shelby said, taking a breath to compose herself. "Get your shoes and let's go."

Rachel nodded and walked to the entryway where she had left her shoes the night before. She was just slipping on her second shoe when she caught a glimpse of the front yard.

"Shelby." She said quietly. "They're here."


	3. 3

A/N: hi all! A couple of things; first, I'm sorry for the flub I made regarding Quinn's eye color, but it's fixed. Second, a lot of you voiced concern at Quinn's sudden interest in Rachel. I promise, that I plan to dive deeper into that plot of the story, and an explanation is coming! Lastly, I'll also be going into more depth of what exactly Rachel's fathers did to her later in the story. Just hand tight!

Thanks for all the love!!

…

Shelby had felt true, genuine fear only a handful of times throughout her life. When she was five and broke her arm after climbing the tree her mother specifically told her to stay off of. When she was sixteen and had a pregnancy scare because she had been young, dumb and careless. When she was twenty three, and had to call her mom and tell her she had a granddaughter that she would never get to meet. And when she was thirty five and was told if she didn't have a hysterectomy, she would die.

Yes, Shelby had felt fear before. But no one ever prepared her for the fear that began to course through her blood the second she heard her daughter's terrified voice, alerting her to the fact that they were in danger. No one prepared her for the flight of fight instinct that immediately kicked in, or the overwhelming urge she had to protect Rachel at all cost.

"Shelby." Rachel said again, this time more frantically. "They're here. They're in the driveway. In your driveway." Rachel yelled.

Shelby pinched the bridge of her nose and counted backwards from ten before looking up at Rachel and giving her a reassuring smile. "Grab your stuff and wait for me by the garage door. I need to grab a couple of things and we're going to leave." She said surprisingly calm, despite her shaking hands. "Their car isn't blocking me in. We can get into the car and lock the doors before opening up the garage door. It will all be fine."

Shelby watched as Rachel worriedly chewed on her bottom lip before giving her a slight nod. "I'll go wait for you by the door." She said softly.

Shelby gave her a gentle smile before going up to her room and packing her belongings into a bag. They wouldn't be coming back here tonight.

…

Rachel sat quietly in the lobby of the police station. Taking comfort leaning against Shelby's shoulder as the older woman gently rubbed her back.

The car ride here was surprisingly uneventful. By the time Shelby had packed a bag and placed everything in the car, her dads had left, making leaving a lot easier. Shelby had spent the half hour car ride to the police station calling different people. Her lawyer about reinstating her parental rights, a judge she was friends with who she asked to help speed the process along, a family service worker, and another lawyer where she whispered about a contract breach.

Thinking about it all made Rachel's head hurt. She had so many questions, but didn't even know where to start.

"Miss Corcoran, Miss Berry?"

Rachel looked up and found a young looking police officer standing in front of her.

"We're ready for you now. Follow me."

Rachel looked to Shelby for reassurance, and relaxed when she grabbed her hand and didn't let go after they got up. "I'm right here with you." Shelby said softly into her ear, before leaving a whisper of a kiss in her hairline.

The officer led them back to a small room that had three chairs. He gestured to the chairs on the further side of the table and Rachel took that as her cue to sit. She listened as Shelby relayed the series of events that had transpired in the past twenty four hours and the circumstances regarding her relationship to Rachel. Rachel found herself mindlessly nodding along as Shelby spoke, her mind racing a million miles a minute.

"I just want to make sure I'm not going to be charged with kidnapping." She heard Shelby say. "I've already spoken to my lawyers and I have a judge working right now on granting me temporary custody. Rachel came to me willingly."

"You won't be charged with kidnapping ma'am." The officer said politely. "Even if Mr. and Mr. Berry tried to phone in and say their daughter was kidnapped, they would be arrested for child abuse." He paused and looked down at his notes. "Everything is pretty much set, I just need to get a couple statements from Rachel and take a couple pictures of the bruises on her arm and you guys are good to go."

Rachel sucked in a breath and stared down at her lap. She wasn't ready to talk about what her dad and daddy had done to her. Saying it out loud made it real. And Rachel didn't want it to be real. She missed the loving and caring fathers she used to have. Not the men that they had become. A part of her didn't want them to get in trouble, they were her fathers after all. But she knew what she had to do.

Rachel felt Shelby's warm hand on her back again and immediately melted into her touch. "Whenever you're ready, baby"

Rachel nodded and started telling the officer everything she could remember. The very first time she was slapped across the face. The day she got home late and daddy whipped her with his belt. The time she dropped a coffee mug, causing it to shatter into a million pieces and daddy made her kneel on the broken shards. The countless nights without dinner, hot water and everything in between. She talked until her throat was raw. And by the time she finished, Shelby was sniffing quietly beside her, clutching onto her hand as if it were a lifeline.

"Thank you, Miss Berry." The officer said quietly. "I know that couldn't have been easy."

Rachel gave him a weak smile and leaned her head into Shelby's shoulder, who immediately started placing gentle kisses into her hairline.

"If I could just get a picture of the bruises on your arm really quick, once I'm done you and your mother are free to leave."

Rachel nodded and stood up, turning her arm so the officer had a clear shot of the bruises that were placed their by her daddy.

"Thank you." He said after taking a couple shots. "Are there any others?"

Rachel tensed and shot a nervous glance to Shelby before nodding and gently lifting up her shirt.

Rachel didn't know what was worse. The pain that shot through her ribs when lifting up her shirt, or the sob that Shelby let out upon seeing Rachel's torso that was littered with bruises.

"Rach," Shelby said hoarsely. But Rachel cut her off with a quick shake of her head.

"I don't know why I didn't tell you about this if that's what you're going to ask." Rachel said monotonously. "And he did it Friday night, when he found out you were going to be at regionals. I tried to tell him you were going to be there with your team, not to see me, but he didn't listen."

Rachel looked away when she saw a tear slide down Shelby's cheek.

"I don't think anything is broken." The officer said quietly, gently feeling around Rachel's ribs. "Just badly bruised."

Rachel nodded and pulled her shirt back down and went to sit down next to Shelby. She was surprised, however, when she was gently pulled into Shelby's lap. "I love you." Shelby whispered, placing even more kisses to her face before holding Rachel tightly against her.

"I'm just going to make a couple of copies of the report and pictures for you to give to your social worker you're in contact with, and then you're good to leave." He said gently. "Do you have a place to stay tonight? I'm sure we'll make the arrest today, but just in case we have any trouble finding them, I'd rather you be safe than sorry."

"We have a place to stay." Shelby said gently, rubbing her hands up down Rachel's back. "Thank you."

…

Shelby drove the forty five minutes outside of Lima in complete silence, her mind racing a mile a minute. She couldn't stop the guilt that had slowly been building up since leaving the police station. How could she have possibly let those men take her baby? How could she not she see it was all just an act? Why didn't she fight harder for Rachel?

Shelby shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned down the road that led to her parents small cottage. It wasn't much, but it was private and secluded and currently vacant.

"Is this it?"

Shelby nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Rachel's voice. "Shit." She yelled. "You scared me. I thought you were sleeping."

"I woke up when you turned the car off." Rachel said tiredly. "I was thinking before I fell asleep, I don't really have anything with me. Last night I had to borrow pajamas from you. I don't have a toothbrush, or any toiletries for that matter. Plus my book bag is at my dads house and I have school tomorrow and-

Shelby held a hand up to cut off Rachel's rambling. "Honey, relax." She said reassuringly. "I've packed some extra clothes of mine for you, and I also packed you some of my extra toiletries." Rachel nodded, and Shelby smiled as she saw the tension leave her shoulders. "As for school, there's only three days left in the year before summer break. I thought I could call us both off for those three days?"

Shelby watched as Rachel's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "But, you never miss work. Jesse told me you've never called off."

"Well," Shelby said while grabbing her bags from the backseat, "I didn't have a daughter to take care of then, now did I?" She said with a wink. "Come on, let me show you inside and we can get settled."

A couple hours later and Shelby was standing over the stove making stir fry while Rachel sat on the couch in the living room. She had barely said more than three words since they arrived and Shelby was starting to worry. She didn't know what to say to the girl to make her feel comfortable and relaxed, and she was starting to kick herself for not being able to comfort her daughter. This was exactly what she had been afraid of. Sure, she loved her daughter more than anything in the world, but would love be enough?

"Here you go." Shelby said softly a few minutes later, handing Rachel a plate and sitting down on the couch next to her."

"Thank you." Rachel said before eating.

Shelby nodded and chewed her food slowly before speaking. "The social worker called me while you were asleep in the car. With the police report on file, my petition for temporary custody was granted."

"Okay." Rachel said, not taking her eyes off of her plate.

Shelby sighed and put her plate down on the coffee table. "Talk to me, Rach. What's going on in that head of yours?"

"I feel guilty." Rachel said, mimicking Shelby and setting her plate on the coffee table. "I don't want dad and daddy to get in trouble. I know they love me, they just have been really stressed out lately, and sometimes I do deserve their punishments." She said, beginning to cry. "And I feel guilty for throwing your life into an upheaval. You never wanted me in the first place, and now you're stuck with me. You can't even sleep in your own bed tonight because of me."

Shelby's heart broke at the blubbering mess that was her teenage daughter and quickly wrapped her arms around her. "Oh sweetheart." She whispered. "It's okay to feel guilty. Those are still your dads and it's okay to still love them." She said softly, rubbing soothing circles on Rachel's back. "But you know what isn't okay? Thinking you ever deserved to be punished in the way they punished you. There is no excuse for what they did to you. Do you understand?"

She felt Rachel nod against her shoulder and tried not to grimace when she felt her wipe her nose on her shirt.

"You didn't throw my life into an upheaval, baby. Not one bit. I need you to understand that."

Rachel looked up at her with a blotchy face and sniffled. "I'm trying too." She said earnestly. "But ever since the day we said goodbye, I just feel I wasn't what you were expecting. And that you're only doing all of this because you feel obligated." She said softly. "I won't blame you if you decide you don't want me to stay with you."

Shelby hugged the girl closer to her, being mindful of her ribs. "Rachel, I think I need to tell you about the night I was arrested."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Rachel asked.

"Just listen." Shelby said, leaning back against the couch, pulling Rachel into her side so she could rest her cheek on her head.

"It was December eighteenth, two thousand and four."

"My first birthday." Rachel said softly.

"Your first birthday." Shelby reiterated with a smile. "I had just moved back from New York. No matter how hard I tried, all I could think about was you." She said sadly. "So I had just gotten back, and I was struggling that day. It was your first birthday and all I could think about was if you were having a party, if you were walking yet, what you looked like." Shelby paused, wiping a stray tear off of her cheek. "So, I made a stupid decision and got really drunk."

"I don't understand. It's not illegal for you to get drunk. Why were you arrested?" Rachel asked.

Shelby sighed, thinking back to that night.

She had just cashed out at the bar and was waiting outside for a taxi. Despite her drunk nature, Shelby still couldn't get her brain to stop thinking about her baby. Her baby was one year old. She had missed out on an entire year of her baby's life. An entire year's worth of memories she would never be a part of.

Shelby wiped her eyes and looked down the street, cursing at the cold. It wasn't until she saw the street sign that she realized where she was and smiled at the idea that popped into her head. Fuck the taxi, she thought, and started walking in the opposite direction.

A few blocks later and Shelby was standing in the driveway of the home she lived in for nine months. The home that housed her baby girl. She felt her breath hitch as she realized that all that was keeping her separated from her daughter was a door. She quickly wiped her eyes and marched determinedly up to the front porch and knocked softly. She heard a baby squeal from behind the door and felt her heart burst with joy. She was finally going to see her baby.

The front door opened and she came face to face with a shocked LeRoy.

"Shelby." _He said, worriedly looking behind his shoulder. "What are you doing here?"_

_"Please let me see her." She said softly, already feeling the tears slide down her cheeks. "It's been a year. I just want to see her. Please."_

_"No." He said forcefully. "You can't be here Shelby. You need to leave."_

_"Please." She pleaded, sounding desperate. "I'm begging you. I just want to hold her for a second, please."_

_LeRoy opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Hiram appearing in the doorway with Rachel on his hip._

_Shelby thinks he asked LeRoy who was at the door, but she couldn't be sure. All she could focus on was the beautiful little girl snuggled into him. She had beautiful brown eyes, with a tuft of hair the same color pulled into a little ponytail on top of her head. She made eye contact with Shelby and gave her a toothy grin._

_"She's so beautiful." Shelby said, reaching her arm out to stroke her cheek._

_She pulled her hand back when Hiram sharply slapped it away. "Don't you dare touch my daughter." He said forcefully. "You're not supposed to be here, and if you don't leave I'll call the cops."_

_Shelby felt her blood boil. "She's just as much my daughter as she is yours. She's half of me. I just want to see her." She screamed, reaching for Rachel once again only to be shoved back by LeRoy._

_"You will never be her mother." He said harshly._

"Your neighbors called the cops because of all the yelling. Once the police arrived and your fathers explained to them that I had no parental rights, I was arrested for disorderly conduct." Shelby said sadly.

"You wanted to see me that bad?" Rachel asked, looking Shelby in the eyes.

"I did." Shelby said, running her fingers through Rachel's hair. "And to this day I don't regret that night, because I got to see you."

Rachel smiled and relaxed back into Shelby's embrace. "Does this mean I'm going to be living with you permanently?" Rachel asked. "I know right now it's just temporary and I-

"Honey," Shelby started, effectively ending Rachel's rambling. "I want nothing more than for you to permanently come and live with me. As long as that's what you want too."

"That's what I want." Rachel said softly.

"Then it's settled." Shelby replied. "But these next couple of weeks are going to be stressful." She warned. "I'm certain there will be a hearing, we're going to have to schedule meetings with lawyers to change the temporary custody to permanent, I'm sure there will be meetings with social workers." Shelby rattled off. "It's going to be rough, but you and I have to stick together, okay?"

"Okay." Rachel said. "It's me and you."

Shelby smiled and kissed Rachel's forehead, settling back down into the couch, reveling in the feelings of holding her daughter. "It sure is, baby. It sure is."

…

A/N: I have rewritten this chapter multiple times and I'm still not completely happy with it. Think of it as a filler. Please leave a review and let me know what you think!


	4. 4

-A/N: hello everyone and welcome back! As always thank you all for the lovely reviews, they truly encourage me to keep going. And I promise, all the questions you have will be answered in time.

Enjoy.

…

The next two weeks flew by in a blur for Rachel. After staying at the small cottage with Shelby for a night, both of her fathers had been taken into custody and were currently awaiting a trial that would take place near the end of summer, meaning Shelby had been given full custody of Rachel. After being given the all clear by law enforcement, Shelby had allowed Rachel an hour to go back to her dads house and collect some of her things, 'only necessities though, Rach. I'll buy you all new things for here so you can start fresh and make this your new home.' Her mother had told her, and it had stuck in Rachel's head for the hour she packed up some of her most prized possessions. Shelby's voice had sounded forced and over cheerful and it didn't sit right with Rachel, but she brushed it off. Returning back to Shelby's home with five minutes to spare and quietly thanking her for allowing her to go before retreating up to her room.

And that's how things had been the last two weeks. Quiet. Rachel felt like an intruder in Shelby's home, like she didn't belong. She felt as if she was constantly getting in the way, so she tried to make herself scarce. Shelby tried to make her feel loved, Rachel could tell she was genuinely trying. She showered her with hugs and kisses on the head, bringing her snacks and checking on her before she went to bed.

Even with Shelby showering her in affection, things were still awkward. There were long pauses at the dinner table, filled with uneasy tension. There were times they both went to speak at the same time, cutting the other off, before they both fell into an uneasy silence.

Rachel couldn't understand why something she had longed for her entire life, suddenly felt so wrong. Maybe her daddy had been right, maybe she was unlovable. Maybe Shelby loved the idea of having a daughter, and Rachel wasn't meeting her expectations.

Rachel was startled from her thoughts by a soft knocking on her bedroom door and she quickly brushed at her face, wiping away tears she didn't even know had been falling. "Come in."

Shelby's face appeared a moment later, her gentle smile immediately putting Rachel at ease.

"You have a visitor." She said softly. "I was going to run to the store to grab some things for dinner tonight. Do you need anything?"

Rachel scrunched her face in confusion, a visitor? "No, I'm okay, thanks."

Shelby nodded and opened the door wider, allowing a tall blonde to step into the room before she gently shut the door, leaving Rachel alone with the last person she wanted to see.

"You've been avoiding me." Quinn said bluntly, flopping herself onto the bed and sitting down next to Rachel. "I know you don't have a lot of friends, Berry, but ignoring someone's calls and texts, especially after that someone had just given birth, is considered rude."

Rachel stole a glance at Quinn out of the corner of her eye and noticed she was practically back down to her pre-baby weight. Her figure was lean again, her skin was glowing and there wasn't a single hair out of place on her head. She was back to head Cheerio Quinn. And that scared Rachel.

"You look good, Quinn." Rachel said softly.

Quinn scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That's all you have to say after ignoring me for over two weeks?" She said with a raised eyebrow. "Clearly you've been busy, seeing as you suddenly rekindled your bond with good ole mommy dearest and ditched the dads to come live with her."

There it was. The bitter harshness in Quinn's voice was exactly what Rachel had been waiting for. "What I'm doing here is none of your business, Quinn." Rachel spat back, angry at herself for believing Quinn was ever her friend. For falling for another one of the cheerleaders mean pranks.

Quinn threw her hands up in frustration before sitting up straighter on the bed. "Yes it is." She said, drawing out each syllable to emphasis her point. "We're friends. Friends tell each other things."

"Since when?" Rachel yelled, finally snapping. "Since when have we been friends, Quinn? You have been nothing but _horrible _to me since the day I met you." She cried. "Have we been friends since you threw the first slushy in my face? Or did we become friends when I found out who Shelby was and I heard you say to Mercedes you couldn't blame her for ditching me?" Rachel stood up wanting to be away from Quinn. "My entire life you have torn me down and made me absolutely hate myself. Sorry if I don't consider that friendship." She sniffed. "You caught me on a bad day when you took me to breadsticks. I was lonely and I was naive. But we are not friends Quinn."

Rachel watched as Quinn sat on her bed and slowly nodded her head, before standing up. "You're right." She started, brushing imaginary dust off of her leggings. "We were never friends. But being a mother changes you." She said, and Rachel saw her eyes fill with sadness. "My last month of my pregnancy, all I could think about was how if anyone ever treated Beth the way I treated you, I would be heartbroken, and then I'd want to kill whoever was tormenting my baby." She paused, looking up to meet Rachel's eyes. "And then I realized what that said about me as a person." She laughed humorlessly. "I was mean to you, Rachel, because I was jealous. You had so much going for you and I had nothing. So I picked on you. And I'm sorry."

Rachel stood dumbfounded, unable to move from her spot on the floor. She was expecting Quinn to scream at her for the way she talked to her, not an apology.

"Thank you," She said lamely, "for the apology. It means a lot. And while I don't exactly forgive you for everything you've done to me in the past, I'm willing to put it behind us and start fresh."

"I don't expect you to forgive me. What I've done to you is horrible. All I ask is that you give me a chance to prove that I've changed, and that I'm actually a pretty good friend when I want to be." Quinn said, surprising Rachel with how vulnerable she was being.

"Well, as a friend, can I ask you for some advice?" Rachel asked hesitantly.

"Hit me with it, Berry."

…

Shelby sighed as she got home from the store and saw that Quinn's car was still in her driveway. She was happy Rachel had someone to talk too about everything that was going on, honestly she was. But that didn't mean she wasn't just the slightest bit jaded that Rachel was choosing to talk to Quinn instead of her.

The past couple of weeks had been nothing short of frustrating for Shelby. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't connect with Rachel. She understood the girl was going through a whirlwind of emotions herself, but Shelby had hoped that they would at least be able to bond a little bit.

But there had been no bonding. Shelby had barely gotten anything more than a small smile out of Rachel since sharing with the younger version of herself that she had received full custody. Dinners were awkward, conversations were strained, and Shelby constantly found herself second guessing what to do or say when around her daughter, and she didn't like it.

"Bye Mrs. Corcoran. Sorry for dropping by unannounced." Quinn said softly from behind her, pulling Shelby from her thoughts as she turned on the oven.

"Anytime, Quinn." She said earnestly. "Do you want to stay for dinner?"

"That's okay, I have some things I have to do tonight. Thank you though!"

Shelby smiled as she watched the girl grab her keys and head out the front door. She turned her attention back to the oven before she was interrupted from her thoughts again.

"Hi." Rachel said softly, standing at the entrance of the kitchen.

Shelby didn't know what it was, maybe it was a motherly instinct, or maybe she was just turning soft, but whenever she saw Rachel she felt her entire insides turn to mush. "Hey, baby." She said, the nickname slipping easily from her mouth. "I'm just starting to make dinner if you want to go watch TV until it's done."

"Do you need any help?" Rachel asked her tentatively.

"Sure!" Shelby exclaimed, passing over a cutting board and some vegetables to the counter. "If you want to chop these up for the lasagna that would be great. I'll get working on the sauce."

She watched as Rachel nodded and began slowly cutting up the vegetables, her eyes darting up to Shelby's every so often before quickly fixing them back on the cutting board.

"What's up kiddo? Everything okay?"

Rachel didn't look up from the cutting board as she continued cutting and gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I'm sorry things have been so tense. I, I know it's my fault. I'm trying to get settled in, I really am. You've been amazing and I just," Rachel sniffed and Shelby felt her heart break as the young girls bottom lip trembled. "I don't want you to get sick of me and change your mind again." She finished quietly.

"Oh, sweetheart." Shelby said softly, taking the knife out of Rachel's hand before pulling the girl into her arms. "I'm never going to get sick of you. And I'm never going to change my mind. Ever." She said firmly. "It's okay to be struggling to adjust, I am too. This is very different for both of us." She felt Rachel nod against her chest and placed a gentle kiss to her head. "Which is why I've booked an appointment for a therapist. It's not for another two weeks, but with everything you've been through, I think it would be healthy for you to talk to someone."

Rachel looked up at her through wet eyelashes and Shelby had to suppress the tears at just how young Rachel looked. How did she walk away from her before?

"You did that for me?" Rachel asked softly. "Maybe Quinn was right." Shelby heard her murmur to herself.

"What was Quinn right about?" She asked, pulling back slighting to look the girl in the eyes.

"Oh," Rachel started, a light blush creeping up on her cheeks, "I just asked her about her relationship with her mom. She told me that before they didn't have a great relationship, but now she can go to her with anything." She rambled. "She said a mother's love is unconditional and that you would do anything for me."

"I would do anything for you." Shelby said, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I think you need to listen to Quinn more often." She said with a wink. "Now, go to the living room. I'll finish up here. After dinner I have a little surprise for you."

"Okay. Thank you, Shelby." Rachel said quietly before making her way into the living room.

Shelby brushed off the hurt at not being called mom and turned back to the oven to finish dinner. She knew she had to let Rachel do it on her own time, and she had prepared herself in case that time never came. But it still stung.

An hour later and dinner was cleaned up and Shelby and Rachel had made their way into the living room.

"Pick out a movie and I'll be right back." Shelby told her daughter gently.

When she returned she saw the opening credits of funny girl playing and smiled softly to herself. Genetics really were amazing. She picked up the remote and hit pause before sitting down next to Rachel.

"I said earlier I had a surprise for you. It's not much, but I think it might help me show you how much you've always meant to me." She said gently, handing her a box.

She watched as Rachel took the box and shot her a puzzled look, opening it up and then looking back up at Shelby for an explanation.

"Birthday cards." Shelby said awkwardly. "One for every year. And Christmas cards, Hanukkah cards, random letters. I've saved them through the years and planned on giving them to you when you turned eighteen, but I thought now might be better."

Shelby watched as Rachel delicately thumbed through the cards in the box and forced down her feelings of embarrassment. She could be emotional in front of her kid. She had too.

"Thank you." Rachel said, her voice thick with emotion. "I- I've never had someone do something like this for me."

Shelby nodded sympathetically and scooted closer tentatively wrapping an arm around her.

"I know I've screwed up in the past, Rachel. Walking away from you for a second time is the biggest mistake I've ever made. But I promise I have _always_ loved you, and I'll spend the rest of my life proving it to you." Shelby said earnestly. "But there's one more thing."

Rachel looked up at her and cocked a questioning eyebrow, and Shelby had to hold back a laugh at how much the young girl resembled herself in that moment.

"We've been through a lot in the short amount of time we've been together." She started. "And I feel as if we haven't really had a chance to just be a normal mother and daughter." She glanced at Rachel to gauge her reaction at the word mother and was encouraged to keep going when she saw the girl smile. "So I've booked us a trip to New York City next week. A mother daughter trip. I thought we could make it an annual thing. We'll do everything, Broadway shows, sightseeing, shopping. Whatever you want." Shelby rushed out. "Sorry, I'm rambling, but-

She was cut off by the force of a tiny body launching itselfs into her arms. After the initial shock wore off, she immediately wrapped her arms around Rachel and held her tightly. Reveling in the fact that she was holding her baby.

"Thank you so much." Rachel said into her shoulder.

Shelby held her tighter and placed a quick kiss to her temple. "You're welcome." She muttered. "I can't wait to have a week away with you."

Rachel pulled back and smiled shyly. "Me too." She said before grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch and draping it over herself and Shelby and snuggling into her side. "Now let's get our Barbra on."

Shelby laughed and wrapped her daughter closer into her side. "Anything for you, babe."

…

The next week passed by in a blur for Rachel. Shelby had taken her shopping and bought her a completely new wardrobe for the summer, even though she had resisted. On top of that she had bought Rachel a new bedroom set for her room and mountains of decorations, insisting she wanted Rachel to feel at home. And as if that wasn't enough, she had taken Rachel grocery shopping with her and practically forced the girl to pick out all her favorite vegan snacks, again insisting that she wanted the girl to have things she liked to eat in the house.

Between the shopping and the packing, Rachel was exhausted, but excited. She could see Shelby was trying more than anything to make her feel at home and that she was truly making an effort. Rachel was finally starting to feel settled. They were leaving the next morning for New York, and Rachel was genuinely excited to spend quality one on one time with Shelby.

"Shelby?" Rachel asked quietly, standing outside the door of the older woman's office.

"What's up, Rach?" Shelby asked, quickly shuffling papers off of her desk and giving Rachel her undivided attention.

"Do you mind if I go hang out with Quinn for a little bit?" Rachel asked nervously. "If not it's okay I just-

"Rach," Shelby said, effectively cutting her off, "that is absolutely fine. Do you need a ride?"

"No," Rachel said, smiling sheepishly, "she's kind of already waiting in the driveway."

Shelby laughed before standing and making her way over to Rachel. "Can I get a hug before you go?"

Rachel greedily latched onto Shelby and inhaled her soothing scent. She hated feeling clingy, so it wasn't often that she sought out Shelby for comfort. But whenever Shelby initiated any form of contact, Rachel savored it each and every time.

"Just don't be out too late. We have an early flight tomorrow." Shelby said, giving her a wink.

"I won't." Rachel replied before quickly making her way out the front door and into Quinn's car.

Rachel got into the car and shot the blonde her best show face smile. "Hey!" She said brightly. "Where are we going? Your text was really vague."

"You'll see." Was Quinn's reply before she threw the car into reverse and started heading towards the unknown destination.

A half hour later and Rachel found herself sprawled out on a blanket in a grassy meadow, eating strawberries and laughing with Quinn. "This is awesome. Definitely not what I had in mind, but I love it." Rachel said during a moment of silence.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Quinn asked, turning her head to stare at Rachel.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "I've never really had a friend before. So I wasn't sure what exactly 'hanging out' entailed."

"I'm sorry." Quinn said quietly.

"How are you doing?" Rachel asked, ignoring the apology. "You know, since Beth?"

Rachel studied Quinn's face and watched as a mixture of emotions passed through her eyes. She felt her heart ache for the blonde and slowly reached out and grabbed her hand.

"I'm okay." Quinn said softly. "Some days are better than others. But it's an open adoption, and whenever I'm ready, I can go and see her." She sniffed. "But I'm not ready yet."

"Whenever you're ready, I'm here for you Quinn." Rachel said, squeezing the girls hand. "I could even go with you, if that's something you would like."

Quinn turned and looked at Rachel, her eyes filled with an emotion Rachel couldn't quiet place. "I would love that, Rachel." She said softly.

The two sat in a comfortable silence, both enjoying the warm sunshine on their skin. Rachel noticed Quinn was still holding onto her hand and smiled to herself. She felt her eyelids flutter as the warm afternoon slowly lulled her to sleep.

"I need to tell you something, Rach." The blonde said, suddenly sitting up, causing Rachel to open her eyes. "And if I don't say it now, I don't know if I ever will, I -

Quinn was cut off by the shrill sound of Rachel's phone ringing.

"Hold that thought." Rachel said. "I just need to make sure it isn't Shelby." She reached for her phone and scrunched her eyebrows in confusion at the unknown number flashing across the screen. "Hello?"

"An inmate from the Ohio State Penitentiary is attempting to contact you. To accept this call, please press one."

…

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the short chapter. Keep an eye out for a longer update next week!! Please let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks for all the love! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

On a side note, I've received a few messages telling me that i'm stealing the idea's of another story. I have never stolen anyone else's ideas, and started writing this before even reading the story I'm being claimed of copying. While there are other stories out there about Rachel's fathers' being abusive, I feel like that's where the similarities end. But I have messaged the author, and if it comes down to it, I will delete this story. I don't like drama and I don't like people telling me my work isn't original I intended on this chapter to be much longer but decided to stop when all of this came to light.

…

Rachel's blood ran cold at the automated message that began playing as she held the phone up to her ear. She was never told what prison her dad and daddy were sent too for holding until the trial, but she also didn't know anyone else currently sitting in prison who would want to make a phone call to her.

After being prompted by the automated voice, Rachel shakily pressed one to accept the call and waited with bated breath.

"Pumpkin?" Her daddy Hiram's voice flooded through the phone, and Rachel found herself smiling at the nickname despite herself.

"Hi, daddy." Rachel said softly, not missing the questioning look that Quinn shot her way.

"I'm so glad you picked up." He said earnestly. "I really need to talk to you."

Rachel stayed silent, and Hiram took that as his cue to continue. "Rachel, I'm so sorry for losing my temper on you. You are my child, and I should have never laid a hand on you, no matter how angry I was. Even if it was only one time." He said innocently. "I know that your father is the one to blame for the majority of your injuries. I guess I just got caught up in the mob mentality. You understand that, don't you sweetie?"

"Yes." Rachel said after taking a shuddering breath. "I understand, daddy."

"So, I've been thinking," he started, "maybe at the trial you can just testify against your father, and not me. That way I can get out and take you home, and you and I can start fresh, just the two of us." He said sweetly. "Honey, your father's temper rubbed off on me, and I can promise you that I will never hurt you again."

"But what about Shelby?" Rachel asked quietly. "She has full custody of me now."

"Oh don't worry about that sweetpea. Once I get released the contract will go back into effect and I'll get sole custody of you." He said cheerily. "We can be a family again."

"What contract?" Rachel asked, feeling her heart rate pick up.

"Shelby didn't tell you?" Hiram asked, feigning innocence. "Honey, when your father and I found Shelby we drew up a contract for her to sign once she became pregnant. The contract stated that she was not allowed to contact you until you were eighteen, thus giving up all parental rights. It also stated that she would be paid her twenty thousand dollars once you were born. I thought you knew that." He tsked.

Rachel felt her eyes well with tears and immediately turned her back to Quinn, embarrassed that her new found friend was seeing her like this.

"I have to go, daddy." Rachel sniffled. "It was nice talking to you."

"Ok, pumpkin. Think about what I said."

Rachel went to speak but was cut off when the line clicked, signaling that her daddy had hung up. She stared at the phone in her hand blankly, her mind racing a mile a minute.

"Rach?" Quinn said gently, "What's going on with your dads'? Are you ever going to tell me?"

Rachel shrugged off the hand that Quinn had delicately placed on her shoulder and stood up.

"I need to go home. This afternoon has been lovely, but I have a lot of last minute packing I need to do before Shelby and I leave tomorrow."

Rachel didn't miss the flash of hurt and disappointment that went across Quinn's face. She quickly turned her back and made her way to Quinn's car, leaving the blonde to pick up the remnants of their picnic. But Rachel couldn't find it in her to care, she was too caught up in her own thoughts, replaying the conversation she had just had with her daddy in her head.

Shelby had willingly signed a contract terminating all of her parental rights. She had been _paid _to have Rachel. Was that all she was to Shelby, a paycheck? Had she been lying to her this entire time? Shelby had been telling her from the day that she moved in that she had always wanted Rachel from the start, that giving her up had been the single biggest regret of her entire life. But if that was true, why did she _willingly _give up her rights as a parent? And why hadn't she told Rachel about the contract or the money in the first place?

Maybe she should take her daddy up on his offer, she thought. It was true that Hiram had been the more level headed one of the two. It was usually LeRoy who had preferred to use his hands instead of his words. But that wasn't to say that Hiram was innocent. He had been the first one to hit her in the first place. It had only been once, but he was the first to ever lay his hands on her. But at least with her daddy she knew what to expect, she couldn't say the same with Shelby.

"Rach?"

Rachel snapped her head over to Quinn and noticed they were sitting in Shelby's driveway. Had she really been lost in her thoughts for that long?

"Sorry, I spaced out there for a second, my apologies, Quinn." Rachel said while simultaneously reaching for the handle to let herself out.

"Hey," Quinn said, wrapping a gentle hand around her forearm to stop her, "I'm here if you need me." She said sadly. "Have fun in New York, I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back." She said, giving her arm a light squeeze.

"Thanks, Quinn." Rachel said lightly. "I'll see you when I get back."

With that, Rachel got out of the car and slowly made her way up to the house, her stomach filling with more and more anxiety with each step she took. She didn't want to face Shelby right now, All she wanted to do was lay in her bed and get lost in her thoughts. She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Shelby had literally handed her over to two men for some easy cash. She didn't know how she would even be able to look the woman in the eye at the moment, let alone speak to her.

Rachel slowly made her way into the house and started quietly heading for the steps, her shoulders sagging when she saw Shelby was currently walking down them, headed straight for her.

"Hey, baby!" She said cheerfully. "You weren't gone very long. Everything okay?" She asked, coming to a halt in front of Rachel, placing a quick kiss on her forehead, causing the younger girl's stomach to roll.

"Everything's fine." Rachel said, pulling away from Shelby's lingering touch. "I have packing I need to finish up and wanted to make sure I was well rested for the airport in the morning." She said, avoiding Shelby's piercing eyes.

"Okay." She said, and Rachel could tell she wasn't quite buying it. "I'll call you down when dinner is ready."

Rachel gave her a nod in response before quickly stepping around her and darting up the stairs towards her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and fell into a heap on her bed, letting the tears she had been holding back since stepping into Quinn's car fall freely. She spotted the box of cards Shelby had given her sitting on her nightstand, and in a fit of rage, swung her arm out, effectively sending the box crashing to the floor, along with her lamp.

Rachel winced as the lamp crashed to the ground, shattering into dozens of pieces.

"Rachel?" Shelby yelled, "Are you okay?" She asked, her voice getting closer.

Rachel just stood and stared at the broken pieces of the lamp along with the cards that were scattered around her floor, not bothering to look over when an out of breath Shelby came flying into the room.

"What's all this?" Shelby asked her, taking in the scene in front of her. "Honey what's wrong? Are you hurt?" She said, taking a step towards her.

"Don't touch me." Rachel said, taking a step back.

"Rachel?" Shelby questioned again, and Rachel could hear the confusion and hurt that was laced into her voice. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Rachel had to refrain from laughing when the nickname rolled from Shelby's tongue. Now she was her baby, but what was she to Shelby sixteen years ago when exchanged her for a check?

"You lied to me." Rachel seethed, her tiny body shaking with rage. "You've been lying to me this entire time. Do you know how stupid I feel?"

Shelby looked at her with a face full of confusion. "Rachel, what are you talking about?"

"I was nothing more than a paycheck to you." She yelled. "You signed a contract and gave up all your parental rights for money. Believe me, I want nothing more than to make it to Broadway one day, but even I wouldn't stoop so low and sell my own flesh and blood to get there."

Shelby's face paled and she took another step towards Rachel. "How did you find out about the contract?" She whispered.

"You're not denying it." Rachel laughed humorlessly. "You actually _sold _me to them so you could go off and try to be a big Broadway star."

"That's not true." Shelby said, grabbing onto her wrist when she attempted to turn her back. "Rachel, that's not true. All surrogates get paid, and they all have to sign contracts. This wasn't a special case." She said pleadingly. "I was just following the rules."

"Yeah, well most surrogates are using someone else's eggs, not their own. They don't have any relation to the child they birth, you did."

"You're right, I did." Shelby said defeatedly. "And like I've told you before, it is my biggest regret." She sighed. "And if it makes you feel any better, I never took the money from your fathers'. I left it at the hospital with a note asking them to save it for your schooling when you get older."

Rachel studied Shelby intently and she could clearly see the older woman was telling her the truth. But that didn't take away the hurt.

"Why didn't you tell me about the contract?"

"Because I was ashamed." Shelby answered without a moment's hesitation. "You're exactly right, I had given up life's most precious gift. I was young and thought I was doing a noble thing, that giving a baby to a family who so desperately wanted one would be easy." She said, smiling gently when Rachel tentatively sat down next to her. "It wasn't until I heard your heartbeat for the first time that I realized how big of a mistake I was making, but by that point it was too late, I had already signed the contract and there was nothing that I could do. And believe me, I tried Rachel. I went to five different lawyers but they all told me the same thing. There was nothing I could do to get out of the contract."

Rachel nodded and ducked her head in shame at her outburst, wishing she would have just asked Shelby calmly instead of making herself look like a child. "I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I understand if you don't want to take me on the trip anymore."

Rachel sunk into the embrace she found herself being wrapped in and rested her head against Shelby's shoulder.

"It's okay, this is a very confusing time for you, I understand why you were so upset. I should have been honest with you from the get go about the situation regarding your birth, and I'm sorry that I wasn't." Shelby said gently, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "And there's no way were missing this trip, I've been looking forward to it for far too long."

Rachel smiled and nuzzled further into Shelby's shoulder. "But there is something I need you to do for me." Rachel looked up expectantly and Shelby brushed a couple stray hairs out of her face. "After we get your lamp cleaned up, I think you should read a couple of those cards. Do you think you can do that?"

Rachel looked to the floor where the cards lay before looking back up to Shelby and giving her a nod.

Shelby smiled and placed a kiss to her temple before standing up. "I'm going to go get the broom, I'll be right back."

Rachel waited until Shelby left the room to let her shoulders sag. She truly knew how to screw things up.

...

A few hours later and both Rachel and Shelby had eaten dinner rather quietly before Shelby had decided she was going to go up to her room to get a good night's rest. Rachel leaned into her touch when she kissed her goodnight before deciding a couple minutes later to head up to her room as well.

Rachel washed her face and brushed her teeth before putting a couple of last minute things into her suitcase that was sitting by the door before heading over to her bed.

She pulled back the covers and climbed in, reaching for the box of cards that had been neatly picked up and placed back on her nightstand a few hours prior. She shuffled through the dozens of cards before finally settling on one that didn't look like the rest. It wasn't in a fancy envelope, and it didn't have happy birthday scrawled across the top. It was simply a piece of paper folded in two, and it stuck out to Rachel. If it wasn't a birthday card, or a holiday card, it meant that Shelby was thinking about her even on a normal day.

_August 5th, 2000_

_Hi baby! It's me again. It's a gorgeous day here in New York City, and I hope it's just as beautiful back home, wherever you are. I can't believe you're going to be starting kindergarten in a few weeks, baby! Time is flying by. I'm so sad that I'm missing all of these first moments, it kills me. I hope you know that there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you. What you look like, what you act like, if you can sing, if you like singing, I have so many questions. I hope you're the happiest little girl in the world and that you're being spoiled with more love than you know what to do with. I love you, baby girl. I hope you have a great first day of school. I wish I could be there, but know I'll be thinking of you. Always_

_Love, mommy. _

Rachel placed a hand over her mouth to cover the sobs that were escaping, not wanting to alert Shelby she was awake.

Even on a random afternoon Shelby was thinking about her, missing her, _loving _her. Rachel could practically feel the emotion pouring out of the letter and knew for certain that Shelby was telling her the truth earlier today. Rachel was missed by Shelby. But more importantly, Rachel was _loved _by Shelby.

She quickly brushed at her eyes and placed the letter off to the side, not wanting it to get lost in the mix. She leaned back into her pillows before pulling out another card, determined to read them all tonight.

…

The next morning came much too quickly for Shelby's liking. She groaned at the pounding in her head as she rolled over to shut off her screeching alarm.

After Rachel had gone to bed Shelby had snuck back downstairs to pour herself a healthy glass of wine. One glass turned into two, and two turned into the whole bottle. And now she was sporting a raging hangover and didn't feel any better about yesterday's events.

She felt like a failure. The look of absolute betrayal on Rachel's face was burned into her brain. She felt like she was constantly letting the girl down, and she didn't know how to stop.

Shelby sighed and got up, making her way towards the bathroom to shower, hoping it would clear her head.

She emerged from her room a half hour later fresh faced and ready for the day. She walked into the hallway getting ready to go downstairs to make herself a cup of coffee and was surprised to see that Rachel's bedroom door was still shut.

The girl in question had mentioned to Shelby yesterday she would be getting up at seven so she could get a workout in before she had to get ready for the airport. Shelby took a glance at her watch and saw it was nearly nine. If Rachel didn't get up soon they would be late.

"Rach?" She said knocking softly, listening for any sound of movement before slowly opening the door. "Oh, honey." Shelby sighed, taking in the sight before her.

Rachel was fast asleep, sitting up against her head board, her bed scattered with the dozens of cards and letters Shelby had wrote to her over the years.

Shelby moved to pick them up and placed them gently back in the box before sitting on the bed and running her fingers through Rachel's hair. "Wake up, baby. We have a plane to catch."

She smiled as Rachel stirred and snuggled in closer to her side. Shelby continued to play with Rachel's hair until the younger girl finally opened her eyes and stared into Shelby's.

"I'm sorry for yesterday." She whispered, sitting up fully and leaning against Shelby's arm. "I shouldn't have said the things that I did. I just was so hurt and that isn't an excuse, but I am sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Rachel. I think I would've reacted the same way if I was in your shoes." She said, putting her arms around the girl and pulling her onto her lap. Smiling when Rachel didn't resist. "There is not a day that goes by that I don't regret what I did. I hope you know that."

"I do now." Rachel said, gesturing towards the box. "I love you."

Shelby fought the tears that she could feel building in her eyes at Rachel's declaration. "I love you too, baby." She said, giving the girl a squeeze. "Now you better get your butt up or we're going to be late!"

Shelby laughed as Rachel quickly scrambled off of her lap and ran towards the shower, shouting something about her morning routine.

Maybe she wasn't screwing _everything _up.

…

Three hours later and Shelby settled into the seat next to Rachel on the plane, letting the girl have the window seat. She smiled at the girl's excitement at being on a plane for the first time. After a half hour of being in the air, Rachel had finally settled down and had dozed off with her head resting against Shelby's shoulder. The older woman couldn't help but smile down at her precious daughter.

"She's your clone, she's beautiful." The woman in the aisle seat said gently to Shelby.

"Thank you!" Shelby beamed, never tiring of hearing people point out her daughter's resemblance to her. "I think so too."

A half hour later and Shelby gently shook Rachel awake, knowing that they would be landing soon.

"We're almost there baby!" Shelby said excitedly to the groggy teenager. "I wanted to give you a chance to wake up a little bit."

Rachel nodded sleepily, turning to look out the window, her eyes widening in amazement at the sight before her. "Mom! Look!" She squealed, pointing down to the city below.

Shelby's world stopped for a minute. For sixteen years she had imagined being called mom and how amazing it would be. But even her wildest imaginations didn't compare to this moment. She didn't think it was possible to love another human being this much. Oh how wrong she had been.

Shelby leant over and rested her chin on Rachel's shoulder, choosing instead to look at her daughter's ecstatic face rather than the cityscape below.

"Welcome to New York, baby."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: hello all, thanks for all the reviews and words of encouragement. I talked to the author, Bodge, and everything has been worked it. It was all a misunderstanding!

I have worked on this chapter for weeks, and i'm still not happy with it, but I didn't want to leave you hanging any longer.

Enjoy!

…

Rachel took in the scenery around her and felt herself smiling her first genuine smile in what felt like months.

After they had landed they quickly made their way to the hotel they were staying at before Shelby all but drug Rachel to where they were currently at. Broadway.

The theatre district was buzzing with life around her. Between the lights, the energy, and people lining up at stage doors, it took all Rachel had in her to not burst out in tears. For the first time in almost a year, she could see her dream again. One day her name would be lit up in lights. One day people would be lining up for _her _autograph.

She glanced back at her mom, and rolled her eyes as she spotted her holding her camera up. They had hardly been in the city for an hour and already her mother had to have at least a hundred photos of her.

"Mom," Rachel huffed, the word now easily falling off her lips, "give the camera a break already!"

Shelby laughed and stuck her camera in her purse, throwing an arm around Rachel's shoulder and guiding them towards the sidewalk. "Come on, I have to make up for all the years I missed!" Shelby joked lightly.

Rachel rolled her eyes, but snuggled closer into her mother's side nonetheless. "Where are we going next?" She asked giddly. Only an hour in the city and she was already feeling so much better. She felt as if she left all her worries behind her, and she was thriving.

"Well," Shelby started, dropping her arm from Rachel's shoulder before quickly linking their hands together as they crossed an intersection. "I thought we could do some touristy things, hit up some shops and then go out to eat. After that we can do whatever you want. We're not seeing any shows until later this week."

Rachel nodded along, taking in the millions of buildings around her. "Can we go to Times Square after we eat? I'd love to see it all lit up at night."

"Of course, baby." Shelby agreed easily. Anything to keep the smile on her daughter's face.

The rest of the evening went off without a hitch. True to her word, Shelby had taken Rachel to see all the must see tourist spots. They started at the Empire State Building, and ended in Central park, where they enjoyed take-out on the grass from a deli. Once it got dark, Shelby took Rachel to Times Square and had to fight back tears at the look of pure happiness that was displayed on her daughter's face, something she had yet to ever see. She took dozens more pictures, and even had a stranger snap a picture of the both of them. Shelby smiled the entire cab ride back to the hotel as her daughter rambled endlessly about how amazing her day was. Shelby felt like she was finally seeing a glimpse of who Rachel truly was, and it made her heart soar.

Once they arrived back at the hotel, the duo took turns in the shower before climbing into their respective beds, agreeing to take it easy and watch a movie.

"Mom?" Rachel said quietly from her bed.

"Yes?" Shelby replied feeling her heart jump once again at being called mom.

"Thank you so much for bringing me here. I already feel so much better and so much more relaxed. Today has been the most fun I've ever had in my entire life."

Shelby got up and walked over to her daughter's bed, wrapping her in a hug. "You are so welcome. I don't think I've ever had so much fun before either." She said, placing a kiss to the girl's forehead. "And we still have the whole week ahead of us!"

"I know!" Rachel squealed. "I love you, mom."

"I love you too, baby." Shelby said softly, fighting to keep her emotions in check. "Now how about that movie?"

…

The next morning started out great in Shelby's opinion. She took Rachel to the front of Tiffany's where they split a bagel and shared a coffee, and Shelby couldn't help but beam watching her daughter effortlessly laugh in the warm air. After breakfast Shelby took her to some of her old spots and they talked about her time in New York City, and in return, Rachel told Shelby some stories from her childhood.

Shelby wasn't sure what shifted, but sometime between lunch and going back to the hotel to get ready for _Wicked _later that night, Rachel retreated into herself. She became fidgety and jumpy, and Shelby couldn't figure out what had gone wrong.

"Rach?" Shelby called softly from the other side of the bathroom door. "Are you almost ready? We need to leave soon if you still want to walk to the theatre."

The bathroom door opened and Rachel stepped out wearing a light green sundress, and Shelby smiled at how naturally beautiful she looked.

"Sorry." Rachel said softly. "I'm ready."

"You look beautiful honey." Shelby smiled. "Let's go!"

"Wait, mom."

Shelby had her hand partially on the door and turned her head back, cocking an eyebrow in response. She watched as Rachel internally battled with herself before she took a step forward and buried herself into Shelby's arms. Shelby jumped in surprise before quickly wrapping her arms around her daughter.

"You okay, baby?"

Shelby felt her daughter nod into her chest before she took a step back and gave her a mega watt smile. "Yep, let's go!"

Shelby had seen _Wicked _before, multiple times actually. It was one of her favorite shows on Broadway. But during this particular show, she found herself watching Rachel more than the performers on stage. There was something about experiencing the excitement of a Broadway show through your child's eyes that made it so much more magical.

When act one finished, Rachel turned to Shelby in awe. "Wow." She breathed. "I've obviously listened to the cast recording and have watched bootlegs on YouTube, but seeing it live, that was just, wow." Rachel finished.

Shelby laughed at her daughter rambling and threw an arm around her shoulder, happy that her daughter seemed to be out of her funk from earlier. "It is pretty magical, huh kid?"

"It's amazing." Rachel replied dreamily, plopping her head back onto Shelby's arm.

Shelby went to ask what song Rachel was looking forward too in act two when the girl suddenly sat up bolt right, whipping her buzzing phone out of her purse, face going sheet white.

"I have to take this." Rachel said quickly before standing up and heading for the lobby of the theatre.

Shelby sat back dejectedly and chewed on her bottom lip, wondering just what was going on with her daughter.

…

The second half of the show went much worse than the first. Rachel was fidgety in her seat, and Shelby could tell that her daughter was no longer engaged. When it finally ended, Rachel was one of the first out of her seat, and Shelby watched as she whipped her phone out of her purse, scrolling through notifications before letting out a sigh of relief. She looked back to Shelby and smiled.

"Can we stagedoor?"

"Yeah." Shelby said distractedly, a sense of worry she had never felt before rushing over her. "Of course."

…

A/N: I'm so sorry this is so short, I struggled with this chapter big time. Good news, I already have half of the next chapter done and its one of the longest ones yet!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I don't have an explanation for the long delay, all I can say is that I am sorry, and feel more motivated to write.

…

Shelby tossed and turned in her bed while her daughter slept peacefully in the bed next to hers. She was frustrated beyond belief. She had so much experience with teenagers and could normally read them like a book. So why was she struggling to understand her own daughter? Why weren't things clicking for them? Why was this so hard?

After Rachel's sudden mood change at intermission, she was completely back to normal while waiting for the cast at the stage door, and had rambled on and on about the show the entire way back to the hotel. Then, after they had both showered and gotten into bed for the evening, she had become suddenly mute again, only muttering a half hearted goodnight before turning and rolling over to sleep. Shelby couldn't figure it out. She knew she had to get to the bottom of it, but she didn't know how. She felt like she was constantly walking on eggshells around her own daughter, and she couldn't stand it. She felt like she was failing at being a mother, something she had been fearful of since the moment she first laid eyes on Rachel, the main reason she had walked away from her all those months ago. She knew that she could do better, but she didn't know how.

Shelby was pulled from her thoughts when her daughter's phone continued to buzz. It had been buzzing all night, and Rachel hadn't so much as stirred at the sound since falling asleep. She couldn't understand who could possibly be blowing her daughter up at this hour. She reached out for the offending device, only to pull her hand back suddenly as if she had been burned by it. She couldn't go through her daughter's phone, could she? Sure, Shelby was obviously footing the bill, and she _was _the parent, but Rachel hadn't done anything to break Shelby's trust. How shitty of a parent would she be if she broke her daughter's trust by snooping through her phone for no reason?

Shelby huffed and readjusted again, squeezing her eyes shut and promising herself she would talk to Rachel tomorrow and get to the bottom of her sudden mood changes. She wouldn't let her daughter down, not this time.

…

Rachel woke up the next morning and immediately tensed at the weight she felt across her midsection. She turned over and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding when she saw it was only her mom. She furrowed her brows and tried to remember when she got into bed with the older woman, only to realize that she was very much in her designated bed, and that Shelby must have crawled in with her at one point after she had fallen asleep. She smiled softly to herself and snuggled deeper into the woman's embrace, enjoying being able to cuddle her mom without feeling clingy. She took the opportunity to study the older woman's face. It always shocked her how alike they looked, but how they also looked so different. When Shelby was awake, her features were normally much harder than Rachel's, but when she was asleep, Rachel saw that they actually were very soft. Her cheekbones were still sharp as ever, but they weren't as intimidating without the hard eyes to go with them. Her mother was beautiful, there was no denying that, but sometimes her intimidating presence could distract from the beauty.

"If you stare any harder I think I might explode." Shelby suddenly said, her eyes still closed.

Rachel jumped and threw her hand over her heart for dramatic effect. "You scared me."

"You scared me!" Shelby teased. "I woke up to someone staring at me so intently that for a second I thought you were trying to cast a spell on me."

Rachel giggled and snuggled back down against Shelby's shoulder. "Not that I mind," Rachel started timidly, "but why are you in bed with me?'

"I couldn't fall asleep, and you were looking extra cuddly." Shelby said sheepishly. "I also was worried about you."

Rachel snapped her head up to her mother and cocked a questioning eyebrow. "Why? Was I having a nightmare again? I'm sorry, I know how annoying those can be and I can get rather loud, I really am trying to get them under control and,"

"Rach, honey, relax." Shelby said, effectively cutting off her rambling daughter. "You weren't having a nightmare. I just noticed you seemed a little off yesterday. Especially during the show. I just wanted to check in with you and see what was going on. I know this trip is supposed to be fun and time for you and I to bond, but I know stuff at home is still pretty stressful and if you need a minute to talk about something that's okay. I don't expect you to just suddenly forget everything that's going on at home, and you can always come to me with anything. No matter where we are, no matter what we're doing."

Shelby watched as Rachel worried her bottom lip, and she could tell that her daughter was having an internal monologue, most likely trying to decide if she wanted to talk to her mom or not.

"Talk to me, baby. I don't like seeing you like this."

Rachel looked up at her mother, feeling her eyes fill with unshed tears and she willed herself to not let them fall. She wanted to trust her mom so badly, and she knew that this could give her the reassurance she needed that Shelby wouldn't walk away again. But there was still that small part of her that was so fearful to mess anything up.

"You have to promise you won't be mad." Rachel said softly. "And that you won't leave me again." She finished timidly.

"Honey, I will tell you every day for the rest of your life if that's what it takes for you to understand that I am never going to walk away from you ever again. It's you and me against the world, kid."

Rachel nodded and let a tear slip down her cheek. That was all she needed to hear to be able to launch into the story that she knew her mother was not going to like. She told her everything, the phone calls, how her daddy didn't want her to testify against him, and how she felt guilty. She told it all in one breath, never once stopping to gauge Shelby's reaction, only allowing herself a quick glance at the woman as she quieted her sobs and rocked her to sleep.

…

Shelby was furious. Absolutely, blood boiling rage, furious. She didn't know how Hiram had managed to one, get ahold of his daughter's new number, and two, somehow manage to contact her without the guards finding out. He was breaking the restraining order that was put into effect the second that they were arrested. He was making her daughter feel guilty for the abuse he had done to her, he was manipulating her. He was fucking with Rachel's head, and mama bear Shelby was not about to let this go on for a second longer.

She waited until she had soothed Rachel to sleep before grabbing her phone and quietly slipping in the hallway to call her lawyer and inform him of what was going on. After she had been assured by her lawyer he was going to handle everything the second she hung up, she called her phone service provider and had the number from the prison blocked from calling both Rachel's phone and her own. If Hiram Berry thought he could pull one over on Shelby, he clearly forgot who exactly he was messing with.

After she had called her lawyer and her phone provider, Shelby called the airline and made some arrangements. New York would always be here, all Shelby wanted to do right now was take her baby home and never let her out of her sight again. She hoped Rachel wouldn't be too heartbroken, but she knew that the rest of the trip wouldn't be enjoyable. She wanted to be able to enjoy the city with her daughter, and that just wasn't an option right now.

She walked back into the room and quietly packed up the few things that were strewn across the floor before going to the bathroom to take a quick shower and pack up all their toiletries. Once she was done, she walked over to the bed where Rachel was still sleeping peacefully. "Rach," She started quietly, gently brushing some hair out of her daughter's face, "honey, wake up." She smiled when the younger girl started to stir, and watched as her eyes slowly fluttered.

"Mama?" Rachel said groggily, and Shelby felt her heart flutter.

"Yeah baby, I'm here."

"Mama," Rachel said again, sounding slightly more coherent, "I want to go home."

Shelby smiled, finally feeling like a good mom and already being one step ahead of the game. It was her first small victory of what she hoped to be many. "Okay, baby. Let's go home."

…

Rachel settled down into the passenger seat of her mother's car, happy to be one step closer to home. She had been surprised when her mother had so easily agreed to going home, knowing that she had to have spent a fortune on their trip, and that most of it went to waste. She had been even more surprised when her mom had informed her that she had made the decision to leave before Rachel had even woken up. Rachel had felt guilty, but Shelby had quickly assured her that she had received a refund for most of the trip, and that she rather they come back when they can enjoy it more. Rachel easily agreed and was happy to hear that Shelby planned on bringing them back in the future.

Now that Shelby knew about the phone calls, Rachel felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She didn't realize how much she hated hiding it from her mom until she told her. And now that Shelby knew, she didn't feel so under pressure to come up with a solution. Shelby had told her she had taken care of everything, and Rachel trusted her. She finally was starting to understand what it was like to have a parent who loved with no boundaries. She couldn't wait to get home and snuggle up on the couch with her mom and watch _Funny Girl. _

Even though Rachel was feeling lighter, there was still something lingering in the back of her mind that she just couldn't shake. "Hey, mom?" Shelby hummed a response and Rachel took that as her cue to continue. "Do you mind if Quinn comes over tonight? I kind of blew her off that day before we left and I haven't spoken to her since."

"Of course, Rach. Find out what she wants from the chinese place and I'll make sure I order her something too."

Rachel smiled a megawatt smile and immediately whipped out her phone to text her new found friend. Things were finally looking up.

…

Rachel was pacing in front of the door, much to Shelby's amusement. Quinn's food was easily going to need reheated at this point, and Rachel couldn't understand why the girl was running so late. She had seemed excited to come over when Rachel had texted her, saying she had something really important to tell her and that she would be over shortly after they arrived home.

But that was close to two hours ago and Quinn was still MIA and Rachel was starting to get really worried. She wasn't answering any of her calls, and Rachel found herself wondering if Quinn had set her up and this was all some cruel joke. She was just about to call her again when there was a light knock at the door.

"Finally!" She huffed dramatically, stomping over to the door.

"Don't be too hard on her, honey." Shelby called from the kitchen sink where she was cleaning up.

Rachel rolled her eyes, muttering to herself about the importance of timeliness while yanking open the door. "Quinn! Do you know how worried I was, I thought that-"

Rachel was cut off by soft hands gently cupping her cheeks and feather light lips being pressed against her own. Before she even realized what was happening, the lips were gone and Quinn was staring deep into her eyes.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to figure out how to tell you that I'm in love with you."

…

A/N: I'm not very happy with this chapter, but I couldn't make you guys wait any longer.

I also want to take the time to send my prayers to Naya Rivera's family and her beautiful son Josey. I am absolutely heartbroken by this devastating loss, as Naya's portrayal of Santana and her storyline helped me become the person who I am today. Her legacy will live on through her portrayal and the beautiful songs she left behind. She will never be forgotten.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for all the love! It feels so good to be back. There were a couple messages regarding confusion over which dad is which. Daddy is Hiram, and LeRoy is Dad. In the next couple of chapters I'm going to dive deeper into Rachel's past, and you will see more of the abuse she endured. It's just not quiet time for that yet!

Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

…

Shelby watched worriedly as her daughter paced back and forth for what felt like the millionth time. She was at a complete loss for how to comfort her daughter, why didn't motherhood come with a handbook?

"Baby, why don't you sit down for a little while? You're starting to make me sick."

"I can't sit down! Don't you see that I am furious?"

"Wait, I thought you were sad?" Shelby asked, she couldn't keep up.

Rachel threw her hands up in frustration and let out a grunt. "I am! I'm sad, and mad, and I don't even know!" She said defeatedly before plopping down on the couch next to Shelby, resting her head on the older woman's shoulder.

"I don't understand what she's doing." Rachel started tiredly, cuddling further into Shelby when the woman placed her arm around her. "I'm sure you know from Jesse, but Quinn used to bully me a lot in school. Worse than anyone in the entire school actually." Shelby cringed at the mention of Jesse, but kept quiet, encouraging her daughter to continue. "When she befriended me earlier this year I was so hesitant to trust her. Why would the person who has made me feel miserable about myself want to suddenly be my friend? But I trusted her regardless, I thought maybe having Beth gave her a change of heart." Shelby watched carefully as Rachel nervously plucked at an imaginary thread on her shirt and noticed the tears beginning to well in the young girl's eyes, still she said nothing, knowing if she interrupted now, Rachel might clam back up. "I honestly have been waiting for the shoe to drop, thinking she was pulling another elaborate prank on me. But then she was wonderful, she gave me advice on how to talk to you, she watched any musical I wanted, always had my favorite snacks with her whenever she came over and she even set up a beautiful picnic for us, and," Rachel trailed off, looking up at Shelby with a sudden realization in her eyes. "Oh my god she's in love with me."

Shelby nodded seriously, trying to suppress her smile at how naive her daughter could be. "I think she might be, honey." She watched as Rachel sat dumbfounded and continued. "How does that make you feel?"

"I don't know." Rachel said earnestly. "I've never really thought about being with a girl before. But that doesn't mean I'm straight, it's just something that I've never considered. Quinn is a very beautiful girl, probably the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. And since we've become friends she has been nothing short of wonderful."

Shelby smiled, realizing that she was witnessing her baby in love for the first time. She may have missed a lot of first, but there were still so many she was going to get to experience and she was so happy that this was one of them.

"I think you need to call her then." She said gently. "But you were wrong about one thing you said."

Rachel snapped her head up to Shelby, her eyes filling with confusion. "Wrong? Are you, should I not like girls? Is that not okay?"

"Oh honey, no. That's not what I meant. You can love whoever you want and as long as they treat you right, I will accept them with open arms." She said reassuringly, placing a kiss to Rachel's forehead. "What I meant was you were wrong about Quinn being the most beautiful girl you've ever seen. You own a mirror, sweetheart."

Shelby laughed as her daughter smiled sheepishly and a light blush spread across her cheeks.

"Go call her, honey. If you want to, that is."

Rachel hurriedly stood up and placed a quick kiss to Shelby's cheek. "Thanks mom, you're the best!"

And with that she was off, leaving a smitten Shelby in her wake.

…

Rachel once again found herself pacing, only this time she was in her bedroom, and this time it was because of nerves. Quinn should be here any minute and the confidence she had when placing the phone call had slowly faded, and now she was a jittery mess.

"Rachel?"

Rachel spun around so fast she almost fell. She threw a hand over her heart and gasped dramatically. "Quinn!" She admonished. "You scared me."

"Well I don't know how, I've been standing here for nearly five minutes. Do you always pace that much?" She teased lightly, taking a step forward.

"I, no!" Rachel said defensively. "I just, you know, I just needed to pace." She finished lamely.

Quinn took another step forward and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to be nervous, I am too." She said sweetly.

"You are?"

"Of course I am. I just kissed the girl who I've loved for years for the first time and then ran away like the scared little girl that I am."

Rachel took Quinn's hand off her shoulder and took it in her own, leading them to sit on her bed. "The last thing you are is scared, Quinn. You are so brave. You've been through more than anyone I've ever known, and you've only come out stronger."

Quinn shook her head furiously. "I was horrible to you, Rachel. I, it makes me sick to think about the things I used to say to you, the things I used to do to you. I know before I said it was because I was jealous of you, but do you want to know the truth?"

Rachel nodded earnestly and gave Quinn's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I was so horrible to you because from the moment I laid eyes on you, I thought you were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. And then I heard you sing and I was a goner. I was so in love with you. But with my parents, my upbringing, I knew I could never act on it. I heard the horrible things my father used to say about you and your family, and it scared me. So I acted like I hated you, all the anger I had for my dad, I directed it at you. Hoping everyday that eventually my feelings would fade, but they never did." Quinn finished sadly, shining hazel eyes boring into Rachel's. "I'm so sorry, Rachel. I know I've said it before, but I don't think I'll ever be able to say it enough. And if you don't want to be with me like that I understand, I'm fine with being just friends, because friends is better than nothing. And I don't think I can go back to not having you in my life. Not after how amazing this summer has been so far with you."

Rachel smiled lightly and took everything in. It finally made so much sense. Quinn didn't torment her because she thought she was awful or that any of the things she used to say to her were true, she was scared. She was scared of what she might lose, what she might face at home, and while she may have not gone about it the right way, Rachel understood having to do whatever it took to keep yourself safe, to keep the ground from being swept out from underneath you. Quinn was protecting herself, and in a way, protecting her.

"I forgive you, Quinn. I forgave you back when we became friends and I'm not one to hold grudges." She smiled when she saw Quinn's shoulders relax in relief. "I understand why you did what you did, and I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"I don't really think you're the one who should be apologizing right now." Quinn said softly.

Rachel ignored her and kept talking. "I like you Quinn, a lot. But I don't want to jump into this, I'm still really confused and Shelby and I are going through a lot and I don't want to overwhelm myself and that negatively affect us." Rachel said slowly. "But I do want to keep spending time with you, and see where this goes. No one has ever gone out of their way for me like you have. When I'm with you I feel like I can relax and be myself, and I normally only feel that way around Shelby, and even that is hit or miss. I know that probably wasn't the answer you were looking for, but that's all I can give you right now."

Quinn smiled and leaned forward, placing a light kiss to her cheek. "I'll wait as long as you need me too." She said softly. "But I do have one question."

"Ask away."

"Why are you living with Shelby? What happened, Rachel? You can trust me."

The smile quickly left Rachel's face and she stilled, pushing herself slightly away from Quinn. This was not what she was expecting, and it certainly wasn't something that she was ready to talk about. Hell, she had a hard enough time talking about it with Shelby, how was she supposed to talk about it with Quinn?

"It doesn't matter." She said curtly. "All that matters is that I'm here now and Shelby has been wonderful."

Rachel braced herself for a cold reply, or even worse, no reply. But was surprised when all Quinn did was nod, and lean back in the bed making herself more comfortable. "Okay," She replied, readjusting a pillow behind her back, "but when you do want to talk about it, I hope you know you can come to me."

Rachel nodded and put herself back against the headboard with Quinn. "I know. Thank you." She said shyly.

Quinn reached over and took her hand in her own. "You don't have to thank me, I meant what I said earlier. I'm here for you Rach, whether that be helping you run scales or listen to your life problems, I'm here for it all."

Rachel smiled and gently put her head on Quinn's shoulder, surprised at the sense of comfort that washed over her as soon as she did.

She could get used to this.

…

When Shelby was younger, she had always promised herself that she would _never _be like her mom if she ever had kids. She would never pry, snoop and she definitely wouldn't be the mom who tried to be cool but wasn't. No, she was going to be the mom who was actually cool. The one whose kids loved hanging out with her and felt like they could come to her with everything so that she wouldn't have to snoop.

That all changed when Shelby actually became a mom. Suddenly she felt like she wanted to smother Rachel all the time. She constantly wanted to know what was running through the girls head. What she was doing, who she was texting, she wanted to know it all. She didn't know when the sudden sense of uncoolness washed over her, but she had a hunch it happened right around the time she received custody of Rachel.

Shelby was trying, she really, truly was trying to not wonder what was going on upstairs with Quinn and Rachel, but it was hard not to. All she could think about was whether or not she should have given her daughter the sex talk. Thankfully she didn't have to worry about unwanted pregnancy's, but there were still things such as STD's and the emotions that came with having sex. She shuddered at the thought of her sweet innocent baby having sex and suddenly wondered if she was too late. Had Rachel already had sex? Was her baby's innocence already taken from her before Shelby even had a chance to talk to her about the 'birds and the bees'? Cool mom factor be damned. Shelby had questions and she needed answers, and she needed them now.

She quickly pushed herself off the couch and hurried up the stairs, getting to Rachel's door and placing a quick knock before seeing herself in. "Okay, girls we need to talk about an open door-"

She suddenly stopped when she saw the sight in front of her and let out a breath of relief she didn't even know she was holding. The girls were both propped up against Rachel's headboard. Rachel had her head resting on Quinn's shoulder and was sound asleep. Quinn was watching the movie that was playing quietly on the television.

"Sorry about the door, Miss. C, Rachel shut it when I got here and I couldn't get up to open it after we talked because," She gestured down to the sleeping girl. "I promise, nothing happened, we just talked. I'll be sure to make sure the door is open in the future."

Shelby shook her head and laughed slightly, she really was just like her mother. "It's okay, Quinn. And please, we've been over this, it's Shelby." She took in her daughter's peaceful face and found herself extremely thankful for the young blonde who once caused her daughter so much pain. "I'm sorry for bursting in here, I'm not really sure what came over me. You are more than welcome to stay, as she doesn't seem like she'll be waking anytime soon."

Quinn nodded and snuggled down further onto the bed, taking Rachel with her. "Thanks, Shelby. For everything. I know that I've made mistakes in the past, but I promise nothing like that will ever happen again."

Shelby nodded, turning to make her way out the door, looking back one last time. "I forgive you. I would be a hypocrite not to. I've made mistakes too. We're lucky Rachel is so forgiving."

Shelby quickly walked out, not giving the blonde a chance to reply. She wanted her to really think about what she said. She trusted Quinn, and had faith that the young girl wouldn't repeat her past mistakes. But that didn't mean she shouldn't reflect back on the times where she wasn't so kind, or remind her that it was only because of Rachel's big heart that they both were granted a second chance, something that Shelby was thankful for every single day. She wanted to make sure Quinn didn't take it for granted.

Shelby walked into her room and sat gently on her bed, her mind racing a mile a minute. She sighed and reached for her phone, dreading the long overdue phone call she was about to make.

It was now or never.

…

Rachel woke up the next morning to someone lightly shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes and was met with the beautiful hazel eyes that belonged to Quinn. She blushed slightly, realizing she must have fallen asleep during the movie last night.

"As much as I hate to leave your warm bed, I have to go. My mom is expecting me for church this morning."

Rachel nodded and gave Quinn a soft smile. "I'll talk to you later?" She asked hesitantly.

"That you will. Bye Rach."

Rachel smiled to herself as she watched Quinn walk out the door. She may still not know entirely how she felt, but what she did know was that she was finally starting to feel happy.

She got out of bed and made her way down towards the kitchen with a smile on her face, excited to tell Shelby about how things went with Quinn last night. The smile quickly left her face, however, when she saw Shelby was sitting down at the kitchen table, Coach Corcoran face in full effect. Rachel gulped and hesitantly sat down at the seat across from her mother, her mind racing a mile a minute trying to remember what she could have possibly done to upset her mom.

"Mom?" She asked shakily. "Did, did I do something to upset you?"

Coach Corcoran immediately melted away, and her mother's soft features came back to view.

"No baby. But I did."

Rachel looked at her mother in confusion and waited for her to elaborate further.

"I called my mom last night, Rach."

Rachel tried to conceal her surprise at this statement. Shelby never spoke of her family, so she had always just assumed that it was a taboo topic. She knew that at some point Shelby must have been close with her family, as they stayed at Shelby's parent's cottage back when everything first started, but she assumed Shelby must have inherited it. Of course she had always been curious, but there never seemed to be the perfect time to ask. "Oh, uhm, okay." Rachel started, unsure of how to ask what it was she wanted to ask. "Does your mom, does she, I mean with me, does she,"

Shelby thankfully cut off her rambling, reaching across the table to take her hand in hers. "Yes, baby. My mom knows about you. My mom, dad and my brother, they all know."

Rachel watched as Shelby seemed to struggle with what to say next. She could see the internal battle her mother was having and began to wonder what she wasn't telling her.

"Why haven't you ever talked about your family before?" She asked quietly.

Shelby sighed and rubbed her hands over her face, and Rachel could tell that this was going to be a long conversation.

"Come here." Her mother said suddenly, patting her lap.

Rachel arched an eyebrow at her mother's request. "I'm too big to sit on your lap."

"Humor me." Shelby deadpanned.

Rachel nodded and walked around the table and gently sat in her mom's lap. Smiling when the older woman immediately wrapped her arms around her waist and rested her chin on her shoulder.

"I didn't tell my parents about you until your first birthday, the night that I was arrested. They had known for awhile that something was going on with me, but they eventually chalked it up to me being depressed because New York wasn't going the way I had envisioned. When I told them the truth they were furious. To them, I had sold my own flesh and blood for a chance at a pipe dream. They didn't see it as me giving the gift of life to two people who couldn't have a baby themselves." Shelby paused, and Rachel could tell her mother was starting to get emotional, so she took one of her hands and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "It caused a lot of fights, and eventually, I just stopped coming back home. Phone calls became less and less and then they stopped all together. I didn't reach out again until I saw you at sectionals and told them I was going to try and find a way around the contract. They were ecstatic." Shelby paused and placed a gentle kiss on Rachel's temple, and she knew why, she knew this part of the story. "As you can imagine, that joy didn't last long when I told them I had to walk away from you. They were livid. I have never seen either of my parents so angry in my entire life, even my own brother couldn't look me in the eyes. They told me I was no longer welcome in their home and that they didn't want to see me again until I did right by you."

"But we stayed at their cottage?" Rachel said in confusion.

"They didn't know. They rarely go up there and I took my chances." Shelby said gently. "I've been wanting to call them for awhile and tell them that I finally made things right. But I never could find the words. How was I supposed to tell them about your fathers, and what you've been through. I knew they would blame me, and I already blame myself. Hearing them blame me would only confirm my worst fears. That I failed you as a mother."

Rachel turned so she could face her mother, looking at her seriously. "I don't blame you and I don't think that you've failed me."

Shelby smiled and wiped a stray tear from her eye. "I know you don't baby, and I love you so much for that."

"I love you too." Rachel said earnestly, settling back down into her mother's embrace.

"I called my mom last night and I told her everything. They had a right to know, and I couldn't put it off any longer."

Rachel nodded in understanding. "What did she say?"

"She was understandably mad at me for waiting so long to call, mad at what your father's put you through and heartbroken that somebody did that to her grandbaby."

Rachel nodded again, unsure of what to say.

"They want to meet you, Rach. My parents and my brother, they are dying to meet you. I think if my mom had it her way she would have been over the second we got of the phone. But I told her it was something you and I needed to discuss first. This is your decision, Rach. If you aren't up to it yet, that's okay. No one will be upset or angry with you."

Rachel mulled it over in her head. She had always wanted grandparents and aunts and uncles. Both her dad and daddy weren't close with their extended family, so before things got bad, holidays and birthdays were always spent with just the three of them.

"I would like to meet them, I think." Rachel said. "Do you think they'll like me?" She asked, suddenly afraid of being rejected.

"They already love you baby. They are bursting at the seams with excitement over finally being able to meet you. I can only imagine how much they're going to spoil you."

Rachel smiled and nuzzled into her mom, taking in the smell she loved so much. "Okay," She said lazily, "I want to meet them."

She heard Shelby vaguely agree, and mention something about calling her parents after breakfast, but whatever was said, Rachel didn't hear. All she could do was bask in the warmth of her mom, and smile contendly to herself. She had a family, a family who loved her.

Yeah, she could definitely get used to this.


End file.
